A Face to Call Home
by MyAutumnWind
Summary: Emily Hoskins is starting her Sophomore year at Beacon Hills when she mysteriously finds that she can paint crime scenes... before they happen. Scared and confused, Emily tries to warn those she loves & watches as the world around her changes. She finds herself growing close to Isaac Lahey, but what will she do when he begins to change too? Starts parallel with Season One. Isaac/OC
1. Something New

_Authors Note:  
I have recently got into Teen Wolf and I absolutely love it. I really fell in love with the characters which got my inspired to start writing again! This is my first fic in years so I might be a bit rusty.  
There will be a couple of OC characters in this fic, mainly because I wanted it to be a bit different and I feel more comfortable writing that way. Don't worry, the proper characters will be a big part of this story too! __And although this first chapter starts off with mostly my OC characters, everything is going to change pretty quickly so hang in there :D_  
Also, as I am from England, I am not 100% certain with details about the American education system and things, so if I make a mistake with any facts please let me know and I'll fix it _ Enjoy and please review! :D  
This is a slow starter but please try and stick with me, I'll try my best to make it worth it :)_

* * *

A small breath escapes her lips as she draws the wet paintbrush against the rough canvas. The light of the half-moon gleams through the open window beside her. The girl dips her brush into the water before continuing working on the painting, her thin hands moving slowly and steadily in a rhythmic motion. Her green eyes are glazed over in a trance, tendrils of auburn hair falling over her pale cheeks. Browns and greens splatter her skin from the flicking movements of her wrists. Somewhere in the woods a boy cries out in pain from an animal bite. She shades in his hair and his horrified expression and the blood seeping from the side of his shirt before stepping backwards and collapsing in a dead sleep on her bed. The painting watches over her as her breathing settles.

Emily Hoskins wakes in the morning and remembers none of this. She gulps as the eerie scene faces her as she sits up. Just a dream, she thinks, just a dream.

* * *

"Hey Jane, do you still need me to pick you up this morning or are you just going to walk?" I ask my friend through the phone pressed between my shoulder and chin as I hastily attempt to pour milk into my flask of coffee.

"Hell yes! I do not want to turn up to the first day of Sophomore year with my hair looking like I just walked through a hedge. Have you seen the weather out there?"  
I take a glance to the leaves whipping up against the kitchen window and let a small smirk appear on my lips, "Alright hun, I'll be there at half past."  
"See you at quarter to then…" Jane trails off before hanging up. My awful timekeeping reputation precedes me. The clock tells me that it is now 20 past 8 and I still haven't got dressed out of my pyjamas. It's not that I don't leave enough time to get ready, it's just that I need more sleep than an average human being. My parents have fully given up trying to force me out of bed in the mornings. I don't know what happens, but even when I try to get an early night, I still wake up yawning my head off until midday.

I hurry back upstairs whilst twisting the lid onto my flask. I will one hundred per cent need that once I get to school, guaranteed. I'm throwing on the clothes that I had laid out the night before- a white loose top, grey skater skirt and black patterned tights- when I notice the green paint splattered over my forearms.  
"What the…?" I mutter under my breath. I twist my head around in confusion, which is when I notice the brushes in the green stained water pot and feel my body temperature drop a few degrees. A daunting, sinking feeling takes hold of my stomach and digs in its fingernails. A painting. Where usually, a blank canvas rested, ready to be covered, instead there was a fully detailed forest scene. I must have done it last night because I couldn't sleep. I nod to myself, yes, I must have just been half asleep, that's why I don't remember. But how could I paint something that I don't remember?  
The feeble excuses don't do anything to cause the fear to leave. It's too late to jump in the shower so I run to the bathroom, grab a sponge and scrub away the paint until my skin is red raw and flaming with pain. I rest my head against the mirror and try to calm down. The last thing I need to be on the first day back is an anxious wreck. It's just a painting, Em. Breathe.

I walk back to my room and shrug on my leather jacket. Curiosity makes me take a few steps towards the canvas where it is propped up on my easel by my window. My fingers lightly run over the brush marks in the trees and stop on the figure lying awkwardly on the forest floor. I swallow hard as I recognise the face. But… why? Why would I be painting Scott McCall? I wouldn't even call us friends. He was my lab partner last year and I used to hang out with him and Stiles when we were kids, but I'd hardly call him model material. The question I should really be asking is: Why would I be painting Scott McCall _dying_ in the middle of the woods?

Well, I certainly won't be taking this in to my art class for critique. Who knows how many rumours would fly around school about that one! I'd be bottom rung of the social ladder before I knew it... And then Jane would most likely ditch me for a better, more popular best friend. Probably Lydia Martin.

Okay, whatever. I grab my bag and car keys and call out to my Dad that I'm leaving. I'll think about the painting later, when I'm not in a rush.

I manage to pick Jane up at 20 to 9. Late, but not too late.  
"You know," She grins her red lips at me as she jumps into the passenger's seat of my car, "It's a good job I only live like 10 minutes from school because your lazy ass would never get me there on time!"  
"Hey, you want to walk instead?" I let out a laugh and pull out into the road, checking over my shoulder.  
Jane pouts and tugs her sleek black hair around her dark cheeks, "…No."

I'm slowing down to pull into a space in the parking lot when a silver Porsche cuts me off and takes the spot that I had my eyes on.  
"Ughhhhh," I groan and smack my steering wheel, "I had hoped he'd have grown up over the summer."  
"He's just… confident." Jane mumbles. Her crush on the most arrogant human being on the planet was my best friends only let down. I just could not see what was attractive about him. I mean, each to their own, but Jackson was in a league of his own. I swear his jaw could slice bread.

Once parked up, Jane and I meet up with our other two best friends, Summer and Sarah and walk through the double doors to school.  
"Hooray," I grumble, searching around in my bag for the flask of coffee that I had prepared earlier.  
"Drink your coffee and be happy, Em. It's only 3 hours until you can technically call it afternoon." Sarah claps me on the back, completely understanding my tiredness.  
Jane lets out a small squeal and grabs on to Summer's elbow, "There he is!" I swear if she got any more high pitched, it would be painful for everyone. Summer rolls her eyes and continues to scroll down her phone, as always.  
Jackson leans against a locker... with Lydia Martin right next to him in a floating floral dress to die for. It was like a scene from a high school drama on TV - the beauty queen and the angsty jock leaning against a locker, smooching and making eyes at each other. Blergh. Jane sighed as if all she dreamed of was being the girl in that picture. I didn't really see the appeal myself, but, each to their own I guess...

Lydia smiles at us when we pass (you see, although I wouldn't say we were popular, we are far from the bottom of the pecking order. I think Summer's lacross playing boyfriend is to thank for that).  
"Hi Emily."  
My cheeks flush, I didn't expect Lydia Martin to talk to _me_ when Summer is stood right there.  
"Uh, hey." I try to fake a non-tired expression.  
"I saw your art show over the summer. I really liked it."  
"… Thanks."  
"You're, like, really talented."  
"…Thanks."  
Sarah decides to chime in, "Don't make her more big headed than she already is," and pulls my coffee holding arm away from Lydia.

"Hey, hey, don't make me spill this!" I cry out, stumbling after her with flushed cheeks.  
"Oh my god, Lydia Martin likes you." Jane cries dramatically once we were out of earshot and then she hugs her arms to herself.  
"Correction: she likes my art."  
Jane opens her mouth to respond but is cut off when Summer looks up from her phone and speaks out for the first time this morning.  
"Shit guys. You'll never guess what happened last night." Summer's grey eyes are open in shock.  
"You got to third base with Michael?" Sarah snorts through tanned hands.  
"No! Be serious, Sar!" Summer hits her arm lightly before turning the face of her phone to us. It was a local news website with the headline: Joggers find half a body. Summer explains, "Last night these two joggers found a body, like completely torn in half at the waist. Apparently loads of police got called in but they never found the other half. It's not even that far away, only a few miles into the forest reserve."  
Jane gasps, but I hardly hear it. I can hear my heart beating in my ears. There was a photo of police looking around with flashlights in the woods. The exact place in the woods that I painted last night. I could see my brush marks in the colours of the earth and the branches in the trees. My face heats up. I predicted this. Somehow, I painted what would happen. What if I had done it? And I just didn't remember? I could be a murderer. Oh god. Oh god. My eyes squinted at the photo on Summer's phone again, just to make sure. It's not the same. It's different. I tried to persuade myself but the evidence was clear:

That's the exact place where I saw Scott McCall.

Dead.

* * *

_A.N:_

_Don't worry, Isaac and everyone will show and appearance in the next chapter! ;D  
Hope you guys like it, I have lots of ideas on how to continue this to make it parallel to the seasons on the show.  
It's going to be a long fic I think so please try and stick with me. :D_


	2. These Are The Days

Summer tugged my schedule out of my bag and checked which class I was in first while Sarah fanned my face with her hand and Jane shoved her water bottle down my throat.  
"Drink, drink, come on hun." She cooed, her large brown eyes helplessly watching me.  
I tried to breathe, drink, remember.

Batting them all away from me with my hands, I tried to get my breathing back to normal. The girls were used to my anxiety attacks and always tried to do the best they could. Actually, I've not had a bad attack in years, and these girls probably had something to do with that. But right now, I was freaking out. I leant back against a locker and closed my eyes. Breathe.

"Em, you've got Chemistry first with me." Summer read off my schedule. I focused on her voice. And not on the dead body. The dead body that I painted. Oh god. Oh god.

My ears heard a familiar voice down the corridor. My next door neighbour: Stiles. And if Stiles was here… I jump away from the lockers, eyes wide open and find the two boys walking towards us. Joined at the hip like always. Scott and Stiles. Scott. He's not dead. He's not dead! I knew it couldn't be real.

I feel a wave of relief wash over me. It washes deep into my bones and my heart and my lungs decide to work as normal again. Colour rushes into my cheeks and I start to hysterically laugh, covering my mouth with my hands.

Sarah raises her eyebrows, "Well, no more coffee for you this morning."  
"We should get to class." Summer nods at me, "If you're feeling better?"  
I smile at my girls, "Yeah. Yeah. Thanks guys. I'm alright now. Just… nerves I guess. First day back and all. I'll be fine."  
Jane squeezes my hand and we part ways down the corridor.

**…**

Summer and I were among the last few to arrive thanks to my attack holding us up slightly. The benches in the Chemistry room sat two people at each desk and thankfully there was a spare one for me and Sum at the front of the class. Last year, when I ended up partners with Scott, our teacher Mr. Harris had seated us by drawing names out of a hat. I hoped that this year, he'd just let us pick.

But then again, Harris was never the most pleasant of teachers.

Summer and I had hardly taken our seats when the bell rang and Harris stood up.  
"Up. Everyone up." He ordered.  
We all shuffled to our feet at the speed of a group of sleepy teenagers.  
"So I've taken the liberty to choose your lab partners for this year." A muffled groan let out around the room like a punctured tire. I glanced wide eyed at Summer and she shakes her head at me, her short blonde hair whipping around her cheeks. She always gets the top grades and would make the perfect partner, at least where my anxiety is concerned. Please don't partner me with anyone really popular or intimidating, I prayed silently.

Harris read a few names out before he got to mine.  
"Emily Hoskins, Isaac Lahey."  
Thank you Mr. Harris! I turned my head and looked at my partner. He blinked at me shy and uncomfortable. If there was anyone more anxious than me, it was Isaac. I hardly noticed him at all last year – only speaking when he was spoken to, keeping his head down, filling up as little room as possible. Oh god, what grades does he get? What if I'm going to be dragging along dead weight? No, he's probably really smart… right?

Harris finishes reading the pairs out and we all relocate. I assume that Isaac won't make the first move, so I pick up my bag and carry it over to his desk.  
"Hi," I smile at him warmly, hoping to break the ice there and then. I always strive to treat everyone equally and kindly, so I hope any awkwardness dissolves quickly.  
He lifts his head and the sides of his mouth give a little tug.  
Okay. Great start.

Harris turns to write on the board behind him and calls out, "So everyone will find a syllabus for this term already on your desk. If you want to open your text books to the first chapter, we'll begin."  
As I go to put my textbook out of my bag, I notice that Isaac's white knuckles are gripping the edges of his book. His eyes are focused on the front of the class, but his hands are giving him away. I can pick up anxious behaviour on other people really easily, being an expert on what to look for.  
"Hey," I whisper to him. His eyes lock with mine. I try to make my expression soft and relaxed, "It's okay. It's only the first day. You're gonna do great this year."  
He brow furrows in confusion and he stutters quietly, "H-how did you-?"  
I placed my hand on top of one of his and pried it off the textbook.  
Isaac gulps and removes his other hand.  
"It's my worst subject…" He whispers to me, running his fingers through his light brown curls.  
Oh no, my suspicions were correct. I'm so gonna fail. But I didn't want to make him feel bad.  
"Well not anymore. You have me as a partner and I happen to be _extremely_ good at drawing diagrams."  
He lets out a little snort of laughter.  
Harris shoots us daggers and we both shut up. I sneak a grin at Isaac and start to get to work.

**…**

We all manage to survive the day and I meet up with the girls by Jane's locker. I see Summer scrolling on her phone again, Jane rambling on about something while twirling her hair and Sarah picks at the gum in her mouth, listening but not really listening. The familiar sight warms my heart in a way nothing else could.  
"Have you heard?!" Jane almost pounces on me when I approach.  
"Woah, um, no?" I respond, accepting the piece of gum Sarah offers me.  
"The new girl!" Jane exclaims, waving her hands above her head.  
I raise my eyebrows, "Who-?"  
Sarah turns to me and puts on a high pitched voice imitating Jane, "Oh, she's just darling. Gorgeous. From heaven. Lydia picked her out to be her best friend as soon as she laid eyes on those beautiful brown locks. Everyone will want to be Allison Argent's friend!"  
We all laugh, even Jane who points to herself, "Girl, you can't even pretend to be_ this_ perfect."  
I grin at my friends, "Come on, let's go watch hot guys beat each other up."

Lacrosse practice is something of a tradition for us. I make sure to get Monday nights booked as unavailable off work in term time just so I can spend time watching people throw balls at each other. Makes sense. I mean, Summer goes to watch her boyfriend while Jane checks out the other guys who play (namely Jackson) and Sarah checks out the girls who come to watch. I've never really had, or wanted to be honest, a boyfriend. I already have enough stress on my plate. But that doesn't mean I don't find Lacrosse practice enjoyable. I do. Especially in Fall, when we can get wrapped up in scarves and coats and my coffee warms me to the core.

Everyone was already out on the field when we got there. A smile appears on my lips when I see Scott McCall in goal, safe and alive. I give Stiles a wave where he sits on the bench. I used give him lifts home but he got his jeep this year.  
We end up sitting right behind him so I tap him on the shoulder to see how he's doing.  
"Hey Em!" Stiles turns and flashes me a smile.  
"Gonna make the team this year, Stiles?" I ask grinning. Being his next door neighbour I used to watch him and his Dad or Scott endlessly trying to practise in their backyard, to no prevail. I even went round a few times just to throw the ball around as he tried to catch it. I think that Stiles's talents lie elsewhere. Just not in sports. Definitely not sports.  
"Well, I like to dream big, but not that big."  
The whistle blows and we see the coach order the first person forward to shoot. To our dismay, it goes right between Scott's legs and he ends up with a crash on the floor.  
"…Doesn't look too good for Scott either." I say, twisting my mouth.  
"It's Michael's turn to shoot!" Summer stands up and starts to yell encouragement for her boyfriend.  
"Come on, Scott," I hear Stiles murmur.

Michael takes his shot, aiming right at Scott's shoulder… and it lands right in Scott's stick. Everyone looks surprised, especially Scott.  
He catches the next one. And the next. And the next.

Jackson shoved a player to the ground as he pushed himself to the front of the queue. No one helped the boy on the floor, everyone was too focused on Jackson.  
That's when I noticed who it was. Isaac. No one helps him up. I felt a pang of sympathy for him as he rubs his arm and clambers to his feet clumsily.

"Oh no, Jackson's getting angry." Jane whimpers, clutching her sleeves.  
"His crown is being challenged," Sarah snickers.  
Jackson was doing everything he could to get the ball past Scott, but not one could get past.  
Stiles began to tense up and look worried. He was nearly at the edge of his seat.

This definitely wasn't the Scott who I'd seen going over to Stiles's house all summer. He was leaner, more muscular, more… better at lacrosse? We all stared in disbelief as he jumped and flipped over two players blocking his path and scored without taking breath.

A figure on the edge of the lacrosse field caught my eye. It was only for a second and all I could make out was the black clothing.  
"Who's-?" I started, but the person was already gone.

**…**

When practice was over, the four of us began to walk back to the parking lot. Jane was exclaiming excitedly about how hot Jackson had been when he was getting angry and clenching that god damn square jaw of his, when someone rushes past us in a hurry and knocks my shoulder. I catch a blur of red lacrosse gear before I land forward on my knees. A pain shoots up my arms.  
"I'm so sorry! I- sorry- Are you okay? I-"  
Sarah pulls me to my feet and my eyes meet with Isaac's worried ones.

"Isaac!" I smile at him, "It's all good, I'm not hurt," I assure him, even though I know there will probably be two circular bruises on my knees when I wake up tomorrow. But he looks so concerned, I didn't want to make him feel even worse.  
Brushing my skirt down, I see him glance to me, look to his bike where it was locked up and back to me.  
"I'm fine," I raise my pink hands to him.  
"I'm sorry…"  
"Go, it's fine."

Isaac takes one more lingering look at me before unlocking his bike with shaking hands and pedalling away as if Satan himself was chasing behind.

"What was that?" I hear Jane ask.  
I turn to face all three of my friends looking at me with matching expressions: Eyebrows raised, lips pouted, head cocked to one side.  
"…What was what?" I shrug.  
"Was that Isaac Lahey?" Sarah interrogates, placing her hands on her hips.  
"…Yes?" I reply. If they are going somewhere with this I totally don't know where.  
"His Dad nearly drowned some kid at a swim team party once." Jane stated with a matter-of-fact voice.  
"He doesn't have any friends." Sarah chimed in.  
"And I saw the two of you in Chem."  
This time everyone looked at Summer with wide eyes.  
"What?" My heart starts to pound in my head. They are making me nervous. They know better. They know better.  
"You two were definitely hitting it off. I saw you hold his hand!"  
What kind of friends do I have? Oh god, I can see that they will not let this go.  
"I- I did not! I was- I was just… He told me he is bad at Chemistry, that's all it was!"  
"Not with you, eh?" Sarah made eyes at me and nudged Summer in the waist mockingly.  
"I'm going home."

"Awh, Emi! We were only teasing!" Jane hurries after me.  
The other two follow and Sarah squeezes us all in a group hug and says, "Sorry, Em. If you want to hold Isaac Lahey's hand you have my permission."  
I wriggle and laugh, holding my friends close, "You guys are so weird!"

"…But FYI, I don't like Isaac." 

* * *

_A.N.:_

_I have only just started writing this but I think that chapters will be updated pretty quickly! I hope you are all enjoying :D I can't wait for more werewolf-y things to get more involved._


	3. That Sinking Feeling

After school the next day, I drive myself to work, my head full of thoughts and ideas for the art project that we were assigned today. The theme for this terms project is called Identity and my fingers were itching to get started. I was thinking of how I could sit my friends and family down and paint their portraits, then link them all together like a giant visual mind map of my life when the car in front of me screeches to a halt. I quickly slam my foot on my brake, thankful that I was far enough away to not go crashing into the back of their car.

A brunette girl jumps out of the driver's seat and hurries out into the road ahead of us. Rain had started spitting down, but she didn't seem to care. Curiosity and concern got the better of me – instead of pulling out around her and carrying on, I tugged up my handbrake and jumped out of my car.

"Hey? Are you alright?" I call out to the girl, pulling the hood of my jacket over my head. "Need some help?" The rain was getting heavier by the second.  
The girl looks up and although she seems around my age, I don't recognise the face. Tears and rain were streaking down her face as she crouched over a lump in the road.  
"I don't know- I didn't- I didn't mean to- I just glanced down for a second to change a song on my ipod when- It just ran out from nowhere! I didn't mean to- Oh god-"  
I realise what she is talking about when I get close enough to see that the lump in the road was actually a whimpering dog.  
"What's your name?" I ask the shaking girl, whilst crouching down to see if the dog would let me stroke it. The dog growls and I pull my hand away swiftly. That'll be a no.  
"A-Allison."  
"Okay, Allison, don't worry. There is an Animal clinic literally just round that next left turn. Come on, help me try and pick him up."  
She sniffles and wipes her brown hair out of her face.

Together we manage to get our hands underneath the dog (avoiding it's claws and bite) and place him in the back seat of Allison's car. It continues to whimper but I have to get to work and can't take the time to make sure that Allison gets it to the clinic in time.  
"So seriously, it's the next left and the surgery will be right in front of you, got that?"  
Allison nods, "Yes. Thank you so much!" She pulls me into a hug, which would have been nice were we both not soaked through from the rain.  
"Alright, I hope you get there safe."

I run back to my car and follow Allison down the road until she turns off. My shoes were squeaking on the pedals from the rain and water was dripping off the ends my hair. Great. Thankfully, I had a towel in the boot of my car prepared for any beach trips that Jane and I went on over the summer and my work uniform to change into. It is not until I pull into a space at the shopping centre that I wonder if Allison had been the new girl that Jane wouldn't stop hammering on about. I push it all out of mind and hurry towards the entrance, looking forward to warmth and dryness.

**…**

I started working at Love Home at the start of summer when my parents nagged me to get a job because they couldn't keep buying me all the art supplies that I wanted and they didn't want me to waste my summer sleeping all the time. So I had walked round all the shops in the Beacon Hills Mall handing out my CV and luckily, my first interview turned into my first job. It's one of those home appliance shops that sells like everything you need and everything you didn't know you wanted. You know, the normal things like microwaves, cutlery, plates, clocks, and then the weird things like an alarm clock that has wheels and runs away when you try and turn it off, and a phone in the shape of a bird that squawks every time someone calls you. Not my dream job, but the people are nice and it pays for my paints during High School.

I took my towel, change of clothes and some eyeliner into the toilets and made myself look approachable again. My ginger hair is naturally wavy so I give it a quick scrunch with the towel and look at myself with pity. I just wasn't one of those girls with naturally gifted hair; I had a constant bed head look. And with the dark green of my work polo shirt I look like an advert for Christmas. I run my fingers under my eyes as if that would help get rid of faint purple bags and surveyed myself in the mirror. There has never been a time when I have thought that I looked extremely pretty, but I wouldn't describe myself as ugly either. I'm fine. Just fine, I guess. My eyes are a nice green colour and I hardly get any acne, but then again, my nose was a bit longer than average and I tower over my friends - not in a supermodel kind of way, but a sort of lanky, stretched way. I let out a heavy sigh, the woes of being a teenager. You never look good enough for anyone.

Taking my wet clothes and things back to my locker, I remember to remind myself that I am starting a shift at work and not going out to a party or something, so how I look really doesn't matter.

**…**

The hours passed with nothing of interest happening. When I glanced at the many, _many_ clocks that hung on the shelves beside me, I saw the hands point to 9 o'clock, telling me that there was half an hour until we shut and I could go home and attempt to sleep.

A father and son were stood at the end of the clock section, so I walk over to approach them.  
"Hi, do you need any help there? Can I help you find anything?" I ask cheerfully with a smile.  
I find myself suddenly really happy to see Isaac Lahey's curly hair. Then I see his face. He glances up to look at me with a horrified expression. The bottom left side of his lip is purple and bruised. My heart catches in my throat. He looks as if he wants a hole to open up in the ground and swallow him.

Completely ignoring his father, I gasp quietly, "Isaac!" My sales assistant smile has been wiped off my face.  
Suddenly, his father's body steps in between us. He smirks down at me, "If I remember rightly, you are paid to assist me in my shopping, not chat to my son."  
"Y-yes sir," I manage to stutter out, trying to resist the urge to look away from his cold lined eyes and around him to see if Isaac is okay.  
"Where are the Silver Acctim Day and Date clocks? I'd like to replace a broken one." Mr. Lahey asks, now with a warm smile on his face as if he hadn't just terrified me.  
"Just over here, sir," I led him around to the other side of the aisle and passed him one in a box off the shelf. I made sure to avoid looking at Isaac, whose footsteps I could hear shuffling after us.  
"Thank you. That'll be all."  
"Well, let me know if you need anything else, sir." I nodded, faking a helpful smile and walked to the end of the aisle.

I stopped when I felt I was a safe distance away and pretended to be rearranging some mugs on a shelf whilst watching as Mr. Lahey pointed to the price tag and shake his head at Isaac as if it was his fault that he was going to have to spend $30 on a new clock.  
The older man, box in hand, strides away towards the checkout while Isaac runs his hands through his hair. His eyes scan the aisle and land on me. I feel my face burning as I look up and give him a smile. For a second, he makes a move that looks like he is going to walk over to me. My heart pounds against my ribs.

"Isaac?" His dad calls, raising his eyebrows at his son. Isaac panics and jogs away to follow his father, tripping over his feet slightly as he does.

I try to catch Isaac's eye again before they leave, but his gaze is stuck to the floor.

It leaves a strange empty, aching feel in me once they are gone and it's all I can think about for the rest of the night. What happened to his lip? Maybe he was just embarrassed to be seen with his dad… I'm sure everything's fine.

I'll have to try and catch him at school tomorrow.

**…**

I pick Jane up as usual and take her to school. She asks me how work was and I reply that it was fine. For some reason, I don't feel like discussing Isaac with her. I hesitate more than once before speaking this morning and soon enough Jane looks at me and pouts, "Alright. What's up?"  
"…I'm just tired."

I'm not lying. I got little to no sleep last night.

And it happened again.

The painting that I don't remember painting.

Only this time, it wasn't just Scott that was in it – so was another man, someone who I didn't recognise. Their faces were different: wolvish, darker, with bright yellow eyes. It was definitely Scott though; I could feel it in my gut. They were in the woods with a full moon watching over and Scott had an arrow through his arm, pinning him to a tree. The other man looked menacing and his face had been haunting me all morning. I had been chewing away at the thought of warning Scott. But these paintings weren't real, right? I mean, it wasn't Scott who the police found dead. So why would someone shoot him with an arrow?

"Sure. Tired." Jane agreed bluntly and looked out of the window in silence. She thinks I'm keeping something from her. But imagine the reply I would get if I said to her: Hey Jane, I keep painting Scott McCall getting injured but don't remember painting it. She would raise her eyebrows and ask me how much I'd had to drink lately.

We meet up with Summer and Sarah as usual and pass Lydia Martin in the corridor, as usual. She says hi to me, and I smile back. I hear Jane tut and she walks a bit faster.

Then I see him.

"Guys, I'll see you at break, okay?" I say to my friends before approaching Isaac, who has his head in his locker.

"…Hi." I almost choke out. Not really sure where I'm going with this.  
He almost hits his head on the locker door as he whips his head around to look at me.  
"Emily. Hi." Isaac winces through a purple lipped smile. It looks a little better today than it did last night.  
"How are you doing? I was worried that…" I trail off. I was worried that what? He was hurt? He was obviously hurt Emily, don't be such an idiot.  
"-I'm fine." He cuts me off in such a tone that takes me aback.  
My eyes widen and I step back, "It's okay, you don't owe me an explanation, I was just seeing that you were okay, that's all."  
Grabbing the strap of my bag, I turn to leave.

His hand whips out and grabs my arm lightly, "Wait. I- I'm sorry."  
That's the Isaac that I know.  
"You don't have to keep apologising."  
He rubs his head with one hand and shyly smiles, "I know. I'm-"  
"Sorry." I finish for him, grinning.  
Isaac's warm hand drops from my arm and a lump appears in my throat.  
"The clock fell on me and we just needed to replace it." Isaac assures me without blinking, "It was my fault. I'm too clumsy."  
"Okay," I smile up at him, feeling a lot better now I knew it was something so trivial. His dad was probably quite a strict parent. I push Jane's voice saying, "His dad almost let some kid drown at a swim team party once," out of my head.

"Oh, also, Friday night?" The words leave my lips without having fully thought through what I wanted to say.  
"Friday?" Isaac's big eyes blink at me, confused.  
"Yeah, um, did you want to get started on that Chemistry project? Figured you'd want to. Oh- Because you said it was your worst subject- that's what I meant."  
Why was I getting so flustered? Remind me to think before I speak next time.  
Isaac's face shows surprise, "Y-Yeah, yeah, that'd be great."  
"Okay."  
"Okay."  
"Great."  
There is a moment's pause and then the bell rings for class.  
"So I'll take you to mine after school then on Friday?" I suggest in a hurry, partly because I didn't want to go back to Isaac's house and meet his dad again. I would be way too anxious if that happened.  
"Y-Yeah."  
"Okay, see you then!" I left him and hurried along to class, a smile stretching from ear to ear.

**…**

We sat in the cafeteria at lunch on our usual table. I was glancing around the room looking for Jane when my eyes fell on Stiles and Scott. They were arguing about something, which I noted was strange for them. Stiles's animated gestures were juxtaposing Scott's sullen, still stance. My thoughts flickered back to the painting… The full moon was this Friday, I had checked on my phone this morning… Maybe I should say something. Like, tell Stiles to invite Scott round for a movie night or something… Ugh how weird would that sound?!

A tray smashes down on the table in front of me causing me to nearly choke on my water.  
"Woah, Jane!" Sarah cries, picking up the pineapple piece she had dropped in surprise.  
"Guys. You'll never guess what." Jane interjected, a giant grin on her face. She pulls herself neatly onto the bench and gave us a knowing look. She placed her dark hands together and pouted those red lips of hers.  
"What is it?" I inquired, assuming that it was going to be some trifling gossip about Lydia Martin or something.  
"Party." She simply says, still giving us that look.  
We all exchange glances, hoping that Jane will elaborate quickly.  
"Party. This Friday. Literally, _everybody_ is going. Even Lydia and Jackson. So we are in, yes?"  
Summer nods, "Yeah sure, I'll tell Michael."  
Sarah swallows a chunk of pineapple and confirms that she'll be there.

All eyes look to me. I knew that I had already told Isaac that we'd study that night. I felt bad cancelling on him but I honestly didn't know which one I would prefer to do… There was a nagging feeling reminding me about the painting with the full moon but quickly forced it away.  
"I'll see." I decide to say.  
Jane is astonished. "You'll see? You'll _see_? What is wrong with you! This is going to be the party of the year after Lydia Martin's birthday! There's going to be alcohol and boys, what is there to _see _about that?"  
Her reply shocked me to the core. Never before has Jane been so… rude! If I didn't want to go before, I really don't want to go now, just to piss her off even more.  
"Actually, I've just remembered, I already have plans." I state, picking up my water bottle and crumbling the tinfoil that had held my sandwich into a ball.  
To make even more of a point, I stood up and stared Jane down, saying in a clear voice, "I'm hanging out with Isaac that night, so I don't think I'll be able to go to the party. What a shame."

And then I walked away.

* * *

_A.N:_

_Hope you are enjoying this, I know it's kind of starting slow, but I can assure you that it's all going to go downhill pretty quickly soon with the full moon approaching! I'm going to keep trying to update chapters pretty quickly. Please follow and review!  
Also I'm pretty sure these chapters are getting slowly longer... :')_


	4. A Study in Chemistry

By the time Friday came around, Jane had cooled off with me a bit. When I picked her up for school on morning of the party, she sat with her hands folded in her lap and told me coolly that I can be friends with whoever I please, but should not forget who has been my best friend since grade school. I assured her quietly that I hadn't forgotten and hoped she would have a good time tonight. Jane said, "And I hope you have a good time with Isaac too." Her mouth was pulled in a tight line.

I have been thinking a lot about why Jane has acted so harshly about me 'ditching' them to study with Isaac. Possibly it's to do with me never having a boyfriend (or a friend who's a boy who isn't Stiles) so she's not used to me hanging out with a guy instead of her. But Isaac isn't my boyfriend and I don't want him to be. The amount of times that I have told Jane with certainty that I am perfectly happy by myself must be in the hundreds, so she shouldn't be worried about anything like that. She's not jealous, is she? That would be ridiculous… I mean, I did tell her that we had organised this study night before she told me about the party, so it's only fair…  
Maybe she's just being stubborn. Or annoyed that things tonight aren't going as she planned. Or… maybe it's me? Maybe she's thinking that her best friend is turning into a complete loser and wanting to study instead of going to a party is not how normal teenagers act.

The day started passing and my stomach was growing tighter and tighter. I picked at my sandwich at lunch and found myself chewing at my lips more than once. I noticed the anxious habits but couldn't decide what the cause was.

I passed Scott and Stiles in the corridor and felt a wave of anxiety. I then sketched out two more extremely similar scenes to the one in my painting during Math and had to excuse myself to the bathroom to try and calm down. It's like my pen had moved on its own. A mindless doodle, I told myself in the mirror. I ran the water and splashed my face lightly to try and get rid of the two red circles on my cheeks.

Lydia Martin had walked in on me, thankfully ignoring how dishevelled I seemed, and leant against a bathroom stall.  
"You're coming tonight right?"  
I must have blinked at her blankly because she smiled beautifully and waved a hand, "The party, remember?"  
"Oh, uh, yeah, definitely."

I exited the bathroom wanting to smash my head against a locker. Yet again I failed to think before I spoke. Now Lydia is going to expect me there tonight. And she's going to think I'm a complete freak when I don't show. Just as she was beginning to like me. My feet grinded to a halt. Since when did I need Lydia's approval? I sound like Jane. So what if she thinks I'm weird, Isaac and I are going to have a great night. My stomach turned into a knot and twisted.

I'm so confused.

A shrill bell rang out and students began to flood the corridors. Isaac found me standing where I stopped and raised an eyebrow.  
"Emily?"  
I shook my head and my worries away.  
"Isaac, great! I'll just be two minutes, I need to get a book from my locker."  
He nods and we walk down the corridor together. I instinctively clasp my hands together tightly to stop me… wait, to stop me doing what? 'Holding his hand' flashes into my mind for a split second. Stop. He's just my friend.

As I put in my combination and tug the door open, Jackson passes behind me, shouting his mouth off to Danny.  
"That little squirt. I'm going to kill that McCall one day." Jackson growls. I turn my head to watch him as he passes.  
"You probably just lost your footing," Danny comforted his friend with a small smile on his face.  
"Lost my footing?! I just spent an hour in the medical bay thanks to McCall flooring me! He made me look like an idiot!"  
"You always look like an idiot," joked Danny, grinning.

I roll my eyes at Isaac as they saunter away, but inside I take note of Scott's out of character behaviour. Nope, I am not going to think of the painting. Nope. Isaac and I are going to study.

Once I had grabbed my textbook, I led Isaac to my car. He sat in the passenger's seat uncomfortably with his school bag by his feet.  
"Your friend glared at me earlier. Jane, I think she's called."  
I put my car into drive and rev on the gas, "Oh. Really." I say through a clenched jaw.  
"Yeah… I just wanted to make sure everything is okay… Have I done something wrong?"  
"Nope. Not at all." I drive down the road, clenching the steering wheel tight.

Isaac is silent and watches the road ahead. I glance in my mirrors and speed up, filled with angry thoughts of Jane taking her sulking out on Isaac. The next thing I know, he is raising his hand to pry one of mine off the steering wheel. My mouth drops open. Just like I did to him in Chem. I realise I was shaking. I put both hands back on the wheel and continue with a looser grip.  
We don't say anything for the rest of the drive home.

"Want a drink or anything?" I ask the boy as we enter my house and walk into the kitchen.  
"No, I'm fine, thank you."  
He's lying. Probably doesn't want to inconvenience me. I recall how anxious I would be about going to a near stranger's house and acknowledge that I would probably be doing the same.

Isaac and I sit down next to each other on the sofa in my living room and he glances about the room. Awkwardly, I realise how many baby pictures there are of me. As an only child, my parents have gone a bit nuts recording everything from my first tooth to my first drawing to having a broken arm, oh god you name it. The ends of his mouth turn up in a smile.  
I whack him on the top of his arm lightly, "Stop laughing. My parents are weird."  
He shakes his head, "I'm not laughing. I think it's great."

I set out my textbook on the coffee table and pull out some sheets of paper covered in notes. It takes a while for Isaac to relax, but we eventually are talking with no awkwardness or embarrassment – I find myself joking about, speaking to him as if I was around Jane; Complete comfort. I make us a mug of coffee each, despite Isaac's protests but they are both left cold and half drank.

At half 8, my Dad comes home from work- my parents both work at the hospital (I always say that I imagine them meeting each other by locking eyes over an open heart surgery, to which my parents find hilarious). He hangs his coat up and steps into the living room, obviously tired from the day's work. His dark hair is out of place and his tall frame is slightly slumped.

"Hey, Dad." I am snuggled up at the end of the sofa with my knees up.  
"Hey, kiddo," Dad rubs an eye and then blinks at Isaac who is frozen, pen in hand, "Wow is that an actual boy in my house." Despite his weariness, I'm surprised my Dad can still bring out all the bad Dad jokes.  
"This is Isaac," I laugh, waving my hand dramatically.  
"Well, Isaac, I am glad to see another male in this house, I'm sick of all these women," He jokes, throwing Isaac a wink. I see Isaac visibly relax, his shoulders unclenching and a small smile growing on his face.  
"Need a cup of tea or anything, Dad?" I ask, concerned.  
"No, don't worry about it, kiddo. Your Mom's back late tonight so I might get some sleep before she comes in and starts snoring." Dad grins at us. Isaac looks to me to see if it is okay to laugh before joining in. It made me warm inside to see his blue eyes squinting and his teeth showing through his laugh. At school, I hardly can get a smile out of the boy, but he seems happy here.

As if just remembering, my Dad leans against the door frame and cocks his head to one side, "Were you not going to that party with Jane tonight?"  
My jaw drops and Isaac gives me a confused stare. I find my throat dry when I speak, "Oh uh, how did you know about that?"  
"I saw her mom today at work," Dad regards me suspiciously. Damn, I forgot that Jane's mom was a paramedic. She probably just assumed that I was going too.  
"Oh, right. Well, I already had plans and didn't really feel like going."  
When my Dad raises his eyebrows and glances between Isaac and I, I feel like I have to ease the suspicion. "You should be proud of your daughter, choosing to study instead of drinking and getting up to who knows what at a rowdy party!" I exclaim, my voice getting higher the more I speak.  
"Right… okay. Tell my daughter that Jane's mom would be very concerned if Jane was going to a 'rowdy' party by herself." My Dad disclosed to us before making his way to the kitchen to cook himself some dinner.

Isaac and I sat in silence for a moment.

"I'm sorry I-" We both said at the exact same time. Isaac's blue eyes met mine before we burst out laughing.  
"Let's agree to not apologise to each other unless it's really important from now on," I breathe through giggles.  
Isaac inhales and nods before his face settled into his usual mask of unhappiness, "Why didn't you tell me you had a party to go to?"  
"I-"  
"And don't tell me that you didn't want to cancel, because that's a lie. You'd rather be at that party, wouldn't you?"  
He was surveying me with those wide eyes. I sat up and stared him down, "No. I wouldn't."  
Isaac smiles sadly as if he doesn't believe me, when an idea hits me.

"Isaac," I declared, "I have an idea."

**…**

How I persuaded Isaac that we had clearly done enough work to call it a night and go out, I have no idea. This way we got the best of both worlds. I ran upstairs to get changed quickly, choosing a sleeveless cream blouse and tucking it into a black body con skirt. On the way out I knocked over my easel and the painted canvas crashed to the floor, completely out of mind.

When I arrived back downstairs, I found my Dad eating pasta out of a bowl in his hand from where he sat on the sofa with Isaac. Unseen, I lingered in the doorway to the living room and watched. Isaac was talking comfortably about his position on the lacrosse team while my Dad listened, nodding and reacting excitedly when he could.  
"I'll have to come to a game sometime, kid. I've not been to a sporting game in years." Dad stretched out and forked some pasta into his mouth. I smiled fondly at the pair of them. It would be nice to see him at a game supporting Isaac and hanging out with me. I'm not someone who's embarrassed to be around my parents… unlike Isaac is with his dad, I guess.  
"Yeah, that'd be cool!" Isaac's eyes were lit up like he'd just been offered a million dollars. Now that I thought of it, I hadn't seen his Dad at any games last year. I would have remembered his face, surely. I could tell that my Dad's comment had meant a lot to him.

Gingerly, I stepped into the room and held my car keys off one finger, "You ready?"  
Dad and Isaac's mouths drop open slightly – but I think (rather hoped) for different reasons.  
"Is that a skirt or a belt, huh?" Dad joked, covering his eyes with one hand.  
"Shush." I did a twirl, "Just because I don't make an effort 99% of the time doesn't mean I don't scrub up nice."  
"You look great." Isaac bursts out, shocking him as well as me.  
"Thanks," I gave him a shy smile, tugging the hem of my skirt down, suddenly self-conscious of what he was thinking.  
"Well play safe and all that," Dad insisted, giving Isaac another wink when joined me at the doorway.  
"Yeah, yeah, see you later. I won't be home late, promise!" I called back as Isaac and I exited the house and jumped back into my car.

"Your Dad is really cool," Isaac tells me with a smile.  
"I know," I agree. I was raised well and had loving parents and sometimes, that's all a girl needs.

* * *

_A.N._

_Thanks for sticking with me this far! I hope you liked Isaac being in it more. Get ready for the next chapter, it's all going to kick off! Please review and I'll be updating this pretty quickly :)_


	5. Too Much To Handle For One Night

I park down the street and find my feet led towards the dull thumping bass line coming from one of the houses. A small wind tickles my legs making me smooth down my skirt habitually and self-consciously. Isaac is by my side, and to say he seemed nervous would be an understatement.  
"Hey," I stick my tongue out at him, "Let's just _try _to have some fun, okay?"  
Isaac nods and I curl my arm around his, letting the warmth of his body sink in and sooth my chattering teeth. He glances down at our arms intertwined and takes a deep breath.

We walk around the back to the pool and bump into someone almost as soon as we enter. Lydia is leaning against a wall, with Jackson planting deep kisses on her neck and roaming his hands over her skin tight dress. She surveys us with heavy lidded eyes and tousled strawberry blonde hair before pushing Jackson away roughly. Her date stumbles back and grabs the nearest chair for support.  
"Emily!" Lydia slurs, pulling me out of Isaac's arm and into a tight, alcohol tinged hug.  
"Hello!" I sing at her, wincing slightly away. My hands move nervously to make sure that my skirt hasn't risen up.  
"Emily," She repeats and falls out of our hug. A red painted nail points to my chest, "You. I want you to paint me an amazing picture. I'll give you as much money as you want."  
I give Isaac and oh-wow-she's-wasted look and he shrugs from where he stands behind me, trying to take up as little room as possible.  
"Of what, Lydia?" I humour her, as Jackson comes back over and wraps his arms around her waist.  
"Me! What else! You'll do it?"  
"Uh, sure."  
"You're amazing!" Lydia cries and I am tugged back into another python gripped hug. The next thing I know, her lips are locked with Jackson and I'm confident that our conversation is over.

"Well that was weird," Isaac whispers in my ear.  
I am about to agree when I spot familiar sleek black hair and red lips. Jane stares at me wide eyed and hurt, the red cup in her hand going ignored. She is dolled up to the nines in a golden sparkly dress that makes her dark skin glow.  
"Isaac. Do you think Jane saw me with Lydia?" I ask him in a high pitched voice, grabbing his elbow.  
His eyes follow the direction of mine and his face falls, "Maybe. I wasn't looking – she scares me a bit."  
"I need to go and speak to her and clear the air."  
Isaac understands and tells me that he'll go get a drink while Jane and I chat. Before we part, Isaac touches my arm lightly and swallows uneasily, "Don't… Don't be long, please."

My bare arms shiver once I'm away from Isaac's warmth and hurrying to the other side of the pool to where I saw Jane. I spot Summer and Michael making out against a wall and catch Sarah doing shots with some guys on the lacrosse team, meaning Jane has been left on her own. Well, at least I'm here now.

Jane is sulking, sat on a garden chair and chewing on the edge of her cup when I approach her.  
"Jane," I call, and she shoots daggers at me. I see the cup is nearly empty and sigh. It's going to be harder to speak to her if she's drunk.  
"I see you turned up then," She spat out, folding her legs.  
"Yeah, I'm here now. Like you wanted."  
"Like I wanted?!" Jane's voice raises a few octaves, "I didn't want this! I wanted my best friend to be there for me, not have her slinking into Lydia Martin's arms and cuddling up to some strange guy before even thinking about what_ I_ want."  
Guilt racks through me, even though I know that Jane is hardly the victim here.  
"I'm sorry, Jane," I say, thinking that apologising is probably the best route to take. I really don't want to fight with her. Isaac and I agreed to try and have fun…  
"No you aren't," Jane stares right ahead of her with a drunken glaze on her face, "You aren't sorry; you just think that it's what I want to hear. You lie to people all the time. You lie to try and make them happy. You pretend that you are this selfless little saint, doing all you can to try and help people when you are actually making it worse."  
She stands up, knocking the plastic chair backwards. I take a step back, my face aghast.  
"You're drunk, Jane," I stammer out, trying to pretend that her words meant nothing to me.  
"Maybe. But at least I'm telling the truth. At least I'm not keeping anything from my _best_ friend."  
I hug my arms to myself defensively. "Jane, I tell you everything," I manage to whisper out, knowing full well that I have kept a few things from her recently.

Suddenly, someone crashes into my back and I let out a small scream and hold my hands out. But instead of hitting the concrete, I feel warm arms catch around my waist, holding me up. Isaac's breath tickles my neck, "You okay?"  
He helps me get my balance and I tuck my long hair behind my ears, "Yeah, I'm-"

Scott. He was the one who crashed into me.

I see him staggering away, arms waving blindly and I feel a current of panic shoot up and down my body. Isaac is saying my name but I can't hear it properly, like someone is holding a pillow over my senses.

Another boy bumps into me and pushes me into Isaac's arms again. I can't breathe, there is too much going on.  
"Sorry, sorry, excuse me," Stiles apologises, pushing bodies out of the way to follow his best friend.  
"Stiles!" I yell and take off after him without a second thought, "Stiles, wait!"  
My throat begins to burn and I puff out my cheeks as I run out of the gate and out onto the street. Scott has already sped off, his foot hard on the gas, but luckily I spot a familiar jeep and sprint to stop Stiles before he drives off.

He has his keys in hand, about to open the door when I wave my arms and shout, "Stop. Stiles, wait. It's Scott. He's in danger!"  
A number of emotions flash quickly over Stiles's face, "How- What- Emily?" His eyebrows raise and I realise that I must look like I am completely out of my mind.  
"My painting," I pant out, clutching my side, "My painting- I painted Scott- the other night- he got bit by something- didn't he?"  
Stiles glances over his shoulder before leaning in to ask, "How did you know about that?"  
A cold fear pours down my back – so it was real. It did happen. The same night they found that girls body in the woods.  
"I didn't! I just painted it! And tonight, listen to me Stiles! He's going to get shot! By an arrow. And there is this creepy guy in black, you just- you need to warn Scott!"  
Stiles takes all the information in, as if he is used to hearing completely abnormal news like this and opens the driver's seat door.  
"You can come if you like?" He offers, but I shake my head.  
"I need to take Isaac home. Then I'll call you, okay? I need to know Scott is safe. I need to know that this isn't real. If you still haven't found him by the time I've dropped Isaac off then I'm going to the woods myself before I go out of my freaking mind!"  
The boy nods, runs his hands over his buzz cut and starts the car.

My legs are shaking as I hurry back to the party, but someone stood on the steps to the house makes me stop dead. The other guy. The guy in black. It's him.  
Instinct rather than common sense takes me over to him. "You!" I call out, marching right up to his towering, built figure.  
The man looks in his late twenties and furrows his thick, dark brows at me.  
"You know Scott McCall, don't you!" I stab at his chest, completely ignorant to any consequence this might have.  
He folds his arms, "I'm a friend. Derek."  
"Well, Derek, your_ friend _Scott is in danger tonight and I know you have something to do with it."  
Derek looks surprised but before he can reply, a girl appears at his side.

"Allison?" I stare at the girl. What the hell is going on tonight!  
"Ready?" Derek looks down at her.  
She nods, smiling at me. My face must have been horrified because Allison glances down the road and explains, "I came with Scott, but he left in a hurry, so Derek's taking me home. It's nice to see you again though! I kept looking out for you at school to tell you that the dog I hit the other day is going to be fine!" Allison beamed at me.  
"Great. Right… Okay," I exhaled, before shooting Derek a suspicious look.  
The pair strolled away to Derek's car. I find myself suddenly unable to stand and collapse on the steps, my bum hitting the stone with a thump. My pulse beats in my arms and stomach and courses through my mind as I try to even grasp at what had just happened. A small voice terrified me and wondered if I had just imagined Scott being in trouble. What if he's fine and I've just made a fool of myself? But my gut told me that there was something deeper going on and I had to find out.

"Emily?" A quiet, worried voice brings me out of my daze.  
Isaac crouches next to me and holds out a glass of water. He places it in my hands and forces me to take a sip before putting it down on the step below. I notice that the top buttons on his shirt have been undone and his hair looks a bit more scruffy than usual. There is a scared look in his eyes – the one that he always tries to keep at bay. The one I noticed when he came into work with his bruised lip.  
In all my exhaustion, I forget myself and lift one hand to feel his cheek, moving my thumb across his cheekbone and down his jawline. His skin was warm and soft and made my heart pound against my ribs. "Do I really lie to people to make them feel better?" I wonder out loud, remembering my conversation with Jane.  
"You've never lied to me," Isaac whispers, reaching his hand up to hold mine where it rests by his face.  
A small ashamed smile pulls at my face and I find that I can't look him in the eye, "Yes I have. It's stupid, but I told you that I was fine when you knocked me over after Lacrosse practice but I think I still have the bruises." A mad laugh escapes me at how stupid it sounds and I hide my face on Isaac's shoulder, "I'm sorry." I inhale his smell and relax.  
He shuffles himself so that he is next to me and hooks his free arm around my back, sheltering me to his chest, "It's okay. Bruises– bruises heal." His voice sounds on the verge of breaking, so I tighten my grip on his hand.

"I don't know what's happening to me," I admit aloud as well as to myself. I didn't have a clue what was going on with Scott, or that creepy Derek guy, or why the hell I had gained the ability to predict the future with paint.  
Isaac lowers his face so that his forehead rests on mine and I feel a current run through the air. An unexpected grip of fear takes a hold of my chest and I realise that I am scared. Scared of Isaac. Of what he's making me feel. I had never been this close to anyone in my life and had no idea what to do. I am just not experienced in _this_, whatever _this _is. As his breath tickled my nose, the urge to both kiss him and run away bubbled away inside me.  
Like a coward, I turn my head away from him and speak in a shaky voice, "I've got to get you home. Didn't you say earlier that you had a curfew at 11?"  
Isaac removes his arms and the cold soaks into my skin. "Yeah…" he says in a faraway voice before bolting to his feet and choking out, "Yes! Oh crap."  
I jump up, smooth down my skirt and check my phone to read the time, "It's 10 to 11. By the time we get to yours, it'll be like 10 past ish."  
Isaac is already speeding towards my car and I have to take quick steps to catch up. Once in my car, I take a glance at him and see his hands clutching at his hair. That look in his eyes is back and he stares at the road ahead as if willing it to get him home faster.  
"I'll step on it?" I try to make a joke but he is clearly so far past anxious that it has no effect.

I break the speed limit a good few times, after checking that the stretch of road had no cops lurking about, and get Isaac to his house just gone 11.  
Looking over at him expectedly, I turn off the engine and tell him, "Here we go. And my clock reads 11:03 so not too bad."  
Isaac gulps and pulls his school bag at his feet onto his knees, "That's what I was coming to tell you – that I had to get home – on the steps. But we just – I forgot and-"  
"It's fine, just go," I smile, but there is a look on his face that is worrying me.  
"The lights are on in the living room. My Dad is still awake." The words made me really uneasy, especially since Isaac's voice was completely void of any emotion.  
The clock on my dash clicked to 11:04. Isaac's eyes flickered to it and he flung open the door and ran towards his front door like the extra minute we had wasted meant all the difference in the world.  
He gave me a quick smile and wave before putting his keys in the door and shutting it quickly as soon as he was inside.

I let go of a breath I hadn't realised that I was holding and rested my head on the steering wheel for a moment.  
"Right," I say to myself and root in my bag for my phone.  
Stiles picks up after two rings, "Em!"  
"Please give me good news, Stiles."  
I could hear him squirming, "Ahhh, well… There's... news."  
"Go on," I groaned, pushing my hair out of my face.  
"Well, okay, I don't know how, but you were right. Scott was shot in the arm with an arrow. Derek managed to get there in time to save him from the hunters though, so he's fine. Apparently Derek said that a weird ginger girl at the party warned him something like that would happen."  
My chest felt like it was collapsing inwards, "So it all came true."  
"Pretty much… yes."  
"Wait- hunters?"  
"Yeah… it's a long story."  
Stiles waits for me to respond, but I'm having a hard time coming to terms with it all.  
"Stiles?" I whisper into the phone after a while.  
"Yeah?"  
"Will you watch over me tonight? Just in case I paint something else. Because I never remember it happening and I'm beginning to get really freaked out."  
"Sure, Em. See you in a bit."

I hang up and make my way home. For once, I actually feel so tired and drained that I am certain I will drop off as soon as I hit the pillow… and hope that I don't have any urges to paint any more of my friends getting injured.

* * *

_A.N._

_Eek! I loved writing this chapter, there is so much going on, no wonder Emily can't deal with it all at once! I'm going to move it on a bit quicker now, getting more into werewolves and the alpha events in Season 1. I hope you're loving the Isaac parts! I'm churning out like a chapter a day at the moment so you won't have to wait long until the next one! Please review, I want to know what you guys are thinking! :) 3_


	6. Red and Yellow

I come to my senses and roll over on one side, cuddling the bed sheet underneath my chin. The warmth and comfort of my bed in the morning is one of my favourite things in life and I probably would have stayed there for a long time had I not heard a stifling yawn from the other side of my room. Once the blurriness of the light clears from my eyes, I see my next door neighbour, Stiles, leaning on his crossed arms acting as a pillow on my wooden desk.  
For a second, my insides panic and I wonder why he's here… and then it hits me and the cosiness of my bed disappears like jumping into the cold sea.  
"Stiles?" I whisper, clambering out of bed. Quickly, I pull on a maroon hoodie from off my floor that gracefully clashes with my ginger hair and tiptoe over to poke his cheek lightly, "Stiles?"  
"Woah!" His eyes shoot open and his arms uncross suddenly, causing him to smack his head on the hard surface, "Oh my god- you scared me!"  
"Morning sunshine," I lean into my hip and cross my arms, trying not to laugh as he rubs his head confused, "We you not supposed to be looking after me?"  
Stiles blinks, looking up at the ceiling, "…Yeah… I must have fallen asleep."  
"No way, really?"

But all the joking is put aside as Stiles clambers off his makeshift sleeping post and surveys my room. The canvas on my easel is as blank and untouched as the brushes that lie next to it.  
"M-maybe no one else is going to get hurt?" I ask, naively, not really believing it myself.  
We start to look around my room, in my school books, on bits of paper lying about, for any sign of a new drawing but finds nothing.  
"It doesn't happen every night though, does it?" Stiles wonders, running his forefinger and thumb along his jawline.  
"Not that I know of."  
"I would have thought, being a full moon last night…"

His mention of the full moon sets my stomach on edge. When I had arrived home last night to find Stiles sat on my doorstep, we went to my room and he told me everything. I mean, _everything_. At first, I thought it was just Stiles, being Stiles and messing around with me, but everything he said fitted with what I had witnessed; Scott getting bitten, his insane lacrosse abilities, the events of the party last night… I think, with my newfound weird future telling drawing ability scaring the crap out of me, I was thankful so any explanation, no matter how abnormal or unrealistic. Stiles told me about Derek, who I had met earlier that night, and his family – how their house burnt down and how Derek is trying to find this 'alpha' who apparently murdered the girl in the woods. It took me a while, but I eventually went to sleep feeling like my brain had been frazzled.  
"So, Scott and Derek are the only two werewolves then?" I had questioned Stiles.  
"And the alpha," he had responded.  
"And who's that? When he's not, you know, out murdering girls in the woods?"  
"…We don't know."  
"…Right. And it's only on the full moon that Scott changes?"  
Stiles had shaken his head, "No. Anytime his heart rate gets raised, like he gets angry or he plays lacrosse or he-"  
"-dances with Allison," I finished for him, remember that she was his date to the party. "But what's that got to do with me? I haven't got bitten by anything. Not that I know of…" I had said defensively.  
To that, Stiles had no answer. He wondered if there were other myths that were real, not just werewolves, but a _whole_ _collection_ of beasts and legends out there. That made me want to throw up so we had called it a night then and Stiles had sat in my chair, keeping an eye out for any strange behaviour from the unconscious version of me.

Apparently there wasn't. We couldn't say for certain because Stiles fell asleep but there was no evidence in my room.

So we went downstairs and I made us both toast and coffee. Stiles hopped up onto the breakfast bar and swung his legs, fidgeting as usual.  
"So Scott- he's going to have to learn to keep a lid on his werewolf-y change, right? He can't just keep popping out claws every lacrosse game or every time he kisses a girl?" I query, fetching the milk from the fridge.  
"Yeah, Derek told him that needs to find an anchor-" Stiles started to tell me, but he was interrupted by my mother's scream.

Without another word, the both of us pelted upstairs and towards the bathroom, where we found my Mom stood in the doorway, toothbrush in hand. Her other hand was clutching at her short red hair, tufting up between her pale fingers.  
"Mom? What's-?" But before I could finish, my eyes moved past her and into the room. The large mirror above the sink was plastered in colour and familiar quick brush strokes. Acrylic paint was flaking off in patches, leaving an eerie reflection underneath an already disturbing scene. Someone was dead. In the school bus. Not dead- more like ripped to shreds. Although the bright yellow bus covered most of the frame, to my horror, the most prominent colour in the painting was red. Blood drenched the seats and oozed over the floor and dripped off the ceiling. Everywhere.  
I felt Stiles's hand place on my shoulder.  
"E-Emily, what is this?!" Mom demanded to know, turning to stare at me, wild eyed.  
I swallowed hard and tried to tear my eyes off the scene.  
"I-identity," was the first word that tumbled out of my dry mouth.  
"What?" She asked crazily, raising her eyebrows.  
"M-my art project, I-identity. It's, um, supposed to be like, um, your reflection layered with your worst nightmare. So, um, this is Stiles's worst nightmare and we took some pictures of his reflection in the gaps where there is not paint."  
My Mom visibly relaxed and exhaled deeply. She narrowed her green eyes at me and shook the toothbrush in her hand, "Well, Emily, it would have been nice to have been told and not have the living daylights scared out of me before I'm even awake yet! Get it cleared off please, I need to get ready and don't want to look at a torture scene while I'm doing so." She scolded, running her eyes over mine and Stiles's relieved expressions.

Once she was gone, I leant against the doorframe and pushed the hair from my face, "Holy crap…  
"That was smooth," Stiles clapped my arm and stepped over me into the bathroom to inspect the painting closer.  
"What's the damage?"  
Stiles pulls out his phone and takes a couple of snapshots, "Bad... You've not got work today have you?"  
"No, just tomorrow. Why?"  
Stiles turns to me and shoves his hands in his pockets, sighing, "Because I think we need to do some experimenting."

Once we had cleared away the mirror with soap, water and a lot of elbow grease, Stiles called Scott over, and by midday the three of us were sat in my room with the curtains shut and door locked. Seeing Scott in person since finding out about his werewolf issue wasn't as weird as I thought it would be. I imagined him to be bursting out teeth and claws at any minute, whereas in reality, he was the same old Scott. The same boy who helped me throw a lacrosse ball around Stiles's backyard when we were little. And the same boy who was now helping Stiles collect ideas on how to get me to draw the future.

We tried just getting me to doodle anything of the top of my mind, but nothing had the same feel. We tried getting me to meditate and clear my mind, but all I could think of was how stupid I looked. We tried breathing exercises, _actual _exercise, yoga, calming music- until I could take it no more.

"Stop! Just stop!" I yelled, falling out of the headstand that had been Stiles's nonsensical idea. I scrambled to my feet and wiped my hands on my thighs. "Nothing is working, okay!" I cried out angrily, "We've been here for hours and I haven't done anything! Maybe it only works when I'm asleep? Have either of you thought of that!"  
The two idiotic boys pulled a matching grimace.  
Scott exchanged a glance with Stiles and offered, "Well, what if it's like me trying to keep my change under control? You might just need practice? Or-"  
"An anchor!" Stiles cried out, speeding towards me. He catches my shoulders and shoves me into my desk chair. Placing a blank piece of paper on the desk and repeats in a voice full of realisation, "An anchor. If it works for Scott and Derek, it might work for you!"  
I raised my eyebrows at him, "You do know that I'm _not_ a werewolf," I reminded, "And what even is an anchor?"  
"It's like, something that keeps you grounded. Something real, like a person or a moment or a feeling…" Scott explained, walking round to kneel beside me at the desk. Stiles leant over my shoulder and shoved a biro into my hand.  
"So I just think of my anchor?" I asked, hesitantly, fiddling with the pen.  
"Yup. Go." Stiles assured me, squeezing my shoulder.

I closed my eyes for a minute and slowed down my breathing. My anchor… Jane flashed into my mind for a moment and hovered there. My imaginary Jane turned her back on me and scowled, her face full of resentment. I push her back. I think of Sarah and Summer, but they were both seem too far away. My parents drifted to the front of my mind. I love them both so much, but I had a strong feeling that I should keep them separate from all of this weird stuff.

A person, a moment, a feeling.

I know what I want to think of. But I was scared, so scared. My heart races and the memory forces itself to be relived: Isaac's warm body embracing mine, his gentle hand holding mine, his soft voice whispering in my ear, his breath tickling my face. I let my imagination run with me and twist the ending of my story. What if… What if: I don't turn my head and Isaac's face continues to lower. He tilts my chin up with one hand and our mixture of green and blue eyes melt together. A dark blonde curl falls over one eye and I brush it away tenderly. My heart pounds against my ribs and electricity crackles in the space closing between our lips. In my dream, I close my eyes and trace my fingertips around the back of his neck, waiting for Isaac's kiss.

"It's working!"

An irritating voice brings me around sharply and my eyes shoot open.  
"Stiles!" I cry out, more than annoyed that he interrupted my pretend kiss with Isaac. We had been so close! The longing feeling dissolves quickly when I notice my piece of paper. Oh crap. I had started sketching out a pane of glass being smashed by an animalistic figure jumping through it. I must have been working on the face of the creature when Stiles interrupted me, because you couldn't make it out thanks to the dark thick scribbles I had made.

We were all silent, marvelling at what we had just figured out. I have an anchor. My anchor is Isaac.  
"…Do you think that's the alpha?" Scott whispered at my side. His hand reached out and traced the harsh scribbles over his face.  
"Could be…" I replied, "Could be."

**…**

At work on Sunday, clumsy and distracted couldn't even describe how I was acting – it was so much worse. My thoughts were flitting between the fact that actual werewolves were running about Beacon Hills, to me being _actually_ able to predict the future, to Isaac. He hadn't been in contact at all over the weekend and I had started to worry… but then again, his Dad had probably just grounded him or something for being a tiny bit late on Friday night. That didn't mean that I wasn't missing him. I had to remind myself a good few times that Isaac and I had only started to get to know each other and he probably wasn't spending his whole weekend worrying if I was thinking about him, like I was doing. Stop it, Emily!

On Monday morning, I rang Jane three times before giving up and driving to school without her. She never picked up once, so I figured that she still wasn't speaking to me. Only a week of school had passed and Jane was already mad at me. That lasted long.

When I arrived at the school parking lot, I found myself going at about 2 miles an hour behind Jackson's Porsche and a long queue of cars wanting to get in.  
"Idiot!" I cried, hitting my steering wheel. It took me about 10 minutes to squeeze into a space because the far half of the parking lot had been cordoned off, but I couldn't see why. My already tested mood was slowly slipping downhill.  
I grabbed my bag and my usual flask of coffee and ran towards the double doors, knowing that I had about 10 seconds before my appearance would be marked late by Harris. Thankfully, my almost-lateness meant I didn't have to awkwardly bump into Jane.

I skidded into the room just as the bell rang and my eyes fell on Isaac, sitting on his stool, picking at his fingers nervously, head down, trying not to be noticed. A cold shiver rushes down me. After a whole weekend of (probably) exaggerating things in my head, I was about to get disappointed.  
Summer glances my way as I hurry over to my seat and I try to smile coolly at her, but instead, I'm sure my face twists in an awkward and uncomfortable way because she simply raises her eyebrows and gives me a frozen smile in return.

Mr. Harris strolls in to the room. I drop my bag and whisper, "Hi," to Isaac. I get a small smile back that doesn't quite look real and I immediately feel like putting my head in my hands.  
"Was your Dad alright about you being late?" I ask in a hushed undertone as I fetch my notes out.  
Isaac nods once.  
Well that really clears it up, thanks, I think to myself sarcastically.

Harris surveys all of us through his thin rimmed glasses and opens his mouth to tell us to shut up or something of the like. He doesn't get to speak though, because instead, a girl sat by the window lets out a shriek and points outside.  
Everyone hurries over curiously, despite Harris's protests.  
"They've found him!" Someone hushes at their friend.  
Found who. Found who.  
"Found who?" My voice finds itself. I scramble to the far window away from the crowd and everything begins to run in slow motion.

I watch from afar as Stiles's Dad, the Sheriff, paces away from the yellow school bus in the cordoned off part of the parking lot. The yellow bus. There were blood splatters on the windscreen. Red and yellow mix together in a blur and form a flashing ambulance sign. Jane's Mom, a paramedic, is pushing a stretcher towards the ambulance. On it lays a mutilated old man. A blood covered man. A crimson mess of a human being.  
"It's the bus driver!" I hear a voice in the class say.  
I could have done something. I could have told someone. I knew this was going to happen. I did nothing. I killed him. I killed the bus driver. Oh my god. My face is burning. My legs are shaking.  
Suddenly, the old man sits up and lets out a blood curdling scream that pierces through the very heart of me. But I think I imagine it. Because he's dead. He must be. He's dead. And I knew it would happen.

The scene dissolves as I fall away from the window. A boy calls my name. But it can't be Isaac, because I made us up in my head. He can't like someone who let a murder happen.

He can't like me.

I'm guilty.

* * *

_A.N.  
Yes! New chapter :D I've been at work loads the past two days so I stayed up late to get this out, so I'm sorry if there are awful bits because I need sleep.  
Want to say thank you to whatsunderneath's and sillygame's reviews for making me smile loads and giving me more drive to get this chapter out! You're awesome!  
Hope you are all still enjoying this, I thought it'd be nice to get Scott and Stiles involved more. Everything is changing now, dun dun dunnnn… :') Most likely I'll put the next chapter up in about 2 days._


	7. Slowly Suffocating

Tap. Tap. Tap. Slowly, I come to my senses… I can hear someone's footsteps – the clacking of heels. There was a faint hum from a bright overhead light that was making the insides of my eyelids glow red. I squeezed my hands into fists and felt the bed underneath my aching body.  
"Emily?" An older woman's voice brings me around. I squint through a fading blurriness and sit up.  
I found myself in the medical bay with the nurse peering at me over thin rimmed glasses.  
"You fainted in Chemistry class, Emily, do you remember what happened?" She asks me, picking up a small torch.  
A trickle of cold runs from my head to toes. I nod, unable to speak.  
"Luckily, one of your friends caught you before you hit your head, so I wouldn't be worried about concussion." The nurse explains, tilting my chin up to shine the torch into my eyes one at a time.  
I nod again.  
"You can stay here until lunch and rest up. I've called your Dad and let him know, but you should be alright to finish the school day. Give me a shout if you begin to feel nauseous or faint again, I'm just outside in the office." The nurse takes one last examining look before leaving me alone with my conscience.

Sighing, I lie back down and fold my hands over my stomach. A glance at the clock on the wall adjacent to the bed tells me that I had been out for a good while. I had half an hour to wait until 12, when I could find Stiles and Scott in the canteen and discuss-  
I could hardly think about what I had just seen without wanting to curl up into a ball and stop existing. Let alone discuss it with the boys.  
Find something real, Emily. I clutched at my jumper with white hands and focused on my breathing…

How I lay there for half an hour I have no idea, but when my time was up, I jumped off the bed, grabbed my bag and headed towards the canteen with a determined pace. The faces that I stormed by turned into a multi-coloured blur - I only had eyes for the two faces sat on the corner table, whispering together worriedly.  
My feet carried me over and I threw myself onto the bench on the opposite side of the table, raising my eyebrows at the pair.  
Stiles and Scott did their matching expression routine – wide eyes, slightly open mouths, baffled.  
I coughed subtly and pretended to feel confident, "So does someone want to explain to me what the hell happened this morning." I press my fingertips together and stared the boys down.  
Scott's eyes flick to the table as he replied, "It wasn't me."  
"It wasn't Derek either," Stiles added, "But my Dad is certain that it was an animal attack. They found wolf hairs on the body."  
I take the information in slowly and purse my lips, "So it was the Alpha then? This mysterious murdering werewolf?"  
"We think so…" said Scott, "But the bus driver…" He trailed off, unable to meet my eye.  
"What?" I squeaked out, knowing that what was coming was going to hurt.  
"He died on the way to the hospital…" Stiles told me, reaching out to place his hand over mine.

My mask slipped slightly and I had to bite my lip to stop it wobbling. I used my free hand to wipe back my hair, anxiously.  
"We did nothing to stop this happening, guys." I spoke quietly as Scott and Stiles glance at each other guiltily.  
"We didn't know when or where it was going to happen, Em, you can't blame yourself," Stiles tried to offer comfort, squeezing my clammy hand.  
"Yeah," Scott chimed in, "This was only one time. Now we know for future to take anything you draw seriously and put more time into protecting these people."  
"That won't make the bus driver any less _dead_," I spat out, ripping my hand free and hugging my arms across my chest protectively.  
"It won't happen again." Scott yelled suddenly, slamming one hand down on the table loudly, almost denting the plastic. A few freshman from the next table glanced over at us judgingly. Scott flexed his fingers and tried to calm away the werewolf urges.  
"It better not had," I whispered, ending the conversation.  
"We'll figure it out," Stiles assured me.

"Figure what out?" Lydia Martin asked, standing over us with her lunch tray. She placed it down next to Scott. We all stuttered for an answer, completely thrown off guard.  
"Just, er… homework," Scott waved a hand nonchalantly. Stiles and I nodded in agreement.  
"Why is she sitting with us?" Stiles freaked out, his eyes wide.  
The next thing we know, all of the most popular kids in our year are taking their seats around us. I literally didn't know what to do but stare as Lydia beams at her friends. Allison appeared and slid in next to Scott, who flushed a deep red.  
"Get up," I heard a deep voice command. I groaned and rolled my eyes at Stiles. Jackson. Great.  
The boy Jackson was talking to stammered out and excuse before moving to sit at the other end of the table. The imaginary anxiety meter in my head was hitting dangerous territory. I tried to make myself go unnoticed.

"So I hear they are saying it's an animal attack," Danny, one of the lacrosse players, mused, taking a bit from his apple, "Mountain lion?"  
Oh god, anything but this.  
"Who cares," Jackson droned, with all the intelligence of a five year old.  
"Ugh, can we talk about something more fun please," Lydia rolled her eyes and waved her fork about, "Like… Where we're going tomorrow night?" She leans to look at Allison and Scott. They both freeze.  
"Yeah, Scott and I were just going to hang out…" Allison replied, unsure of what Lydia meant.  
"Well, I am _not _sitting in watching lacrosse videos again," Lydia looked pointedly at Jackson, "So the four of us are doing something fun."  
Stiles and I exchange a glance and it's hard not to burst out laughing at Scott's panicked expression.  
"I'd rather stab myself in the eye with my fork," Jackson moaned, but fell silent after Lydia glared at him.

"What about you, Emily?" Lydia acknowledged me and I almost choked on the breath I had just taken. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Stiles smirking at my discomfort.  
"W-what do you mean?" I ask, feeling a weight drop in my stomach.  
Lydia smiled her perfect pink lipped smile and insisted, "You're coming too right? You can bring that guy I saw you with at the party. Like a triple date!"  
Our expressions must have been polar opposites. Lydia was beaming at me expectantly while I gaped at her like a fish out of water. She means Isaac. Oh god.  
I hesitated before replying, "Um, no, we're just friends."  
But it was as if my words went in one ear and out the other, because Lydia cried, "Great. Oh my god, what about bowling? Jackson loves to bowl, don't you?"  
"Yeah, with actual competition."

They begin to chat amongst themselves but I don't listen to any of it – my mind is attempting to come up with an excuse to get out of the 'triple date'. Issac wouldn't even want to go. The likes of Lydia and Jackson have probably never even acknowledged his existence. But what if… what if he did want to go. With me. On a date.  
I gulp and try to concentrate on eating my sandwich, hardly noticing Jane walk by, open mouthed and tense, watching me eating lunch with Lydia and Jackson. Oh no. Oh no. By the time I have raised my head to acknowledge her, Jane had already sped off haughtily. Oh god, I bet she thinks that I have completely ditched her for more popular friends. Oh Jane, you should know me better. At least let me explain and answer one of my hundreds of phone calls… If I could turn back the clock, I would. I promise.

**…**

That night after school, I waited at Jane's locker to see if I could catch her on the way to watch lacrosse practice. But she never showed. Nor did Sarah or Summer.  
I found out why when I reached the pitch – they had gone on without me. A hint of resentment touches my heart before I wash it over with disappointment. Alright then, if that's how they want it then fine. I pass them on the bleachers pretending not to notice them whispering and take a seat at the top, as far away as I can. Alone.

The days are getting shorter towards winter and the sun is already setting in the sky. I pull the neck of my coat up slightly and feel grateful for the lukewarm coffee left in my flask from this morning. The players stroll out of the locker room and make their way to the field, jogging to try and get warm faster. I see the curly hair of my anchor before he spots me. My heart is in my throat as I watch his eyes scan the bleachers, searching. I give a small wave and he raises his hand in return, smiling anxiously. Isaac points a gloved hand at me before making an o.k. sign and giving me a questioning eyebrow raise. Nodding, I give him my best smile, remembering that he hasn't seen me since my fainting episode in Chemistry and has probably been worrying his head off all day. Isaac flashes me a grin that makes butterflies swarm in my stomach and runs over to join his teammates.

Almost automatically, my hands reach into my bag and I pull out my sketchbook and a biro. Maybe now would be a good time to get some of my homework done for art class. We had to start filling our sketchbook pages with different types of identity. I had already thought of passports and flags of countries, things like that, as well as fingerprints and even logos of companies before digging a bit more personal. As I watched Isaac running about the field, I realised that lacrosse is a part of his identity, as an individual as well as part of a team.  
My hand moved quickly and softly as I sketched out the back of his lacrosse jersey. Swiftly, my eyes scanned the page before looking back at the field and repeated. Almost falling into a trance, I took down every detail I could notice, like my eyes were binoculars: the tiny wrinkle of concentration between his brow, the way he licked his lips every so often from the cold, or from habit, the way the fabric of his shirt bunched up across his back then quickly pulled tight again when he threw the ball to another player.

I found myself turning the page and I began to look deeper without even realising. The way Isaac flinched any time a player almost barged into him – that afraid glint in his eyes flashing up for a second. An unfamiliar memory popped into my head: a smashing plate, a cowering boy… I wasn't even sure it was my own memory. My eyes began to slide over and peer deeper into the unfamiliar thoughts that were speeding through my mind, like pressing fast forward in a film. There was a woman with a kind smile frozen in place who soon disappeared, fading away into black. I tried to reach out to find her, but my hand was grasping at air… An older boy grabbed me in a headlock and ruffled my hair, his musical laugh echoing in my ears… but like smoke, he faded away too… A suffocating feeling grew like a weed in my chest. All the memories were turning sour and flashing quicker through my head as if they didn't want to be revealed. So much shouting and smashing and crying. Terror was seeping through my blood, afraid of every word and every noise; Jumping at every shadow.

And then a face appeared as clear as day, his eyes bulging and his cheeks red with fury. His hand flew out and yanked my arm so hard that I cried out in pain. His voice was screaming words I could hardly register while dragging me over to a door that nearly flew off its hinges when the man ripped it open. I tried to escape, crying and yelling for anyone to help me, but with each step he took me down, my throat closed up further and further until panic had completely taken over my senses. The scene skipped slightly as I felt strong hands pushing me down and down and down. The lid of the container slammed shut and I was trapped. Suffocating. Panic. Dark. I screamed at the top of my lungs, tears running down my face. I tried whacking the top with my hand, knees, feet, clawing away feebly. No escape.

But then warm arms were wrapping around my waist, trapping my arms to my sides to stop me thrashing about. Help me, please, help me, I sobbed. Let me out, please.  
"She's not calming down!" A boy's voice was faint in the back of my mind. I was torn between two worlds, half of me trapped inside the cellar, the other part listening to the voice and feeling the arms around me.

All of a sudden, a whole load of water splashed over my face and my eyes shot open, coughing and spluttering as I did. Reality hit me like dropping a stone into a puddle. I'm stood on the bleachers. In the cold. At school. Oh.  
Scott and Stiles were stood in front of me and Issac was holding me from behind. My eyes fell from their panicked expressions, to the empty water bottle Stiles was holding, to the field of lacrosse players and spectators, all staring in my direction.  
"Emily?" Stiles asked me, unsure.  
I could only blink at him in shock. What the hell had just happened?  
"Emily? You're okay now, nothing's going to hurt you." Issac told me softly, moving his hands to my shoulders to sit me down. He knelt beside me and as we looked at each other, I remembered the thoughts that I had just trespassed into. Oh, Isaac…  
"What happened?" I asked him, weak and exhausted.  
Isaac placed a hand over mine and explained slowly, "Out of nowhere, you started thrashing about and screaming. It was like you were being attacked but…" He trailed off, unsure of how to finish.

Scott picked something off the floor next to me and I dragged my eyes away from Isaac. My sketchbook. Scott's mouth fell open as he flicked through the past couple of pages, Stiles peering over his shoulder.  
"What?" I managed to mutter out, my teeth chattering.  
Scott gulped and simply turned the pages to face me. The pages were covered in deep, black scribbles, cutting so harshly in parts that I had gone through some of the pages behind it. Page after page bled with ink, reminding me of the darkness and claustrophobia of the box in the cellar. How scared I had felt – it was all there to see on the pages of my sketchbook.

I tried to stand, but my legs wobbled underneath me. Isaac caught my elbow and sat me down again.  
"I'm fine," I attempted to say, but my voice was as frail as my body.  
"No, you're not," Stiles shook his head at me, "You look like death."  
"What did you see?" Scott asked cautiously, closing the sketchbook and hiding the damage.  
Ignoring that Isaac had absolutely no idea what was going on, I looked him right in the eye and whispered,

"Your dad, Isaac. It was your dad." 

* * *

_A.N._

_Hi! I know this chapter has come out a tiny bit later than I planned, but I had trouble getting it to sound right – so much is going on at once. For everyone who is loving Isaac, you will love the next chapter I've got planned so keep your eye out ;D  
Thank you to everyone who has followed this story, I'm so grateful for everything and hope you stick with me! And to whatsunderneath, sillygame, femalewhovian and sillychick13 for your reviews! :D Keep em' coming! 3_


	8. Lipstick and Confidence

"M-my dad?"

Isaac had stood up and taken a few steps back as soon as I had spoken. The colour drained from his face, making his blue eyes feel even more piercing.  
"What are you talking about?" He interrogated, his voice a few octaves higher than usual.  
Scott and I exchanged a glance. If I told Isaac about me, it would also mean explaining about Scott and Derek, which was more of a need to know basis… The more people who knew there were werewolves running about Beacon Hills, the more panic will be created. So I was going to have to lie to him. Something which I had tried to avoid doing ever since my run in with Jane at the party. Oh god.  
"I just- I really don't know where to start. Isaac, sit down," I tried coercing him calmly, but in return, Isaac shook his head and furrowed his brow at me.  
"No. Tell me what you are talking about. What about my dad?" I assumed that Isaac was being protective of his family – I knew that would be my first instinct if someone starting screaming and then mentioned one of my parents – but this was something different. His breathing had hitched up, as if he was panicking and his hands were curled into balls at his sides.  
I had to say something. Or else I was going to lose him.

"I'm just kind of psychic, okay! It's like a… feeling I get. When someone's in trouble." I blurted out, toning it down as much as I could without stretching the lie too much.  
Isaac blinked at me in disbelief and wrinkled his nose, "Psychic? Are you kidding?"  
"Yeah," Stiles interjected, realising that Isaac was going to need a bit more persuading, "Like you had a feeling something was going to happen to the school bus and then the next day we come in and bam!"  
I nodded and wrung my hands together, hoping that Isaac didn't think I am a complete freak.  
Isaac took in a deep breath and asked quietly, "So my Dad's in danger?"  
Well, from my point of view, it was his Dad_ doing_ the attacking, but I couldn't tell him that. Imagine someone, a friend, telling you that your Dad was a complete psycho...

A long whistling sound drew our attention to the lacrosse field. Coach Finstock was blowing on his whistle, cheeks red, "You know, as much as I hate having you on the field McCall, we're here to practice some sport, not chat about what you're having for tea tonight so get. Down. Here. Now!" He blew the whistle between the last four words and glared at us.  
"Look, just don't worry about it, okay. We'll fix everything." My legs finally feel strong enough to stand, but when I move towards Isaac, he takes a step back, unknowingly breaking my heart at the same time. "Isaac please," I pleaded him, "There's a much bigger picture than you know. Don't worry about your Dad, it's probably nothing."  
A big nothing that made me scream my head off and scribble through the pages of my sketchbook.  
The boy gave me one last guarded look and said, "Just stay away from my family. Don't go poking your nose in other people's lives. Leave us alone."  
And then he walked away, down the bleachers and onto the field without one glance back. He's gone. Isaac's gone.

Stiles made to follow him back to practice, but then turned and flapped his arms about as if an idea had just hit him over his head.  
"What?" Scott asked hurriedly, not wanting to annoy Coach any more than he had to.  
"Isaac's Dad. What if he's the Alpha?"

**…**

For once, I had an amazing night's sleep. I had come straight home after practice and threw myself into bed, exhausted. Then when I woke up this morning, I felt more rested than I had in a long time. I didn't even make myself a coffee, which made me more than a little suspicious. I thought it might have something to do with the drive home, when I made a promise to myself. I decided that if I was going to have to live with this future seeing curse, call it what you want, I was going to have to learn how to control it. I never wanted to be in a situation again where it takes three people to calm me down… and the way everyone had stared! Oh god, I felt ill just thinking about it. The embarrassment of fainting in the morning and then freaking out at lacrosse practise – I never wanted it to happen again.

While I put on some make up in the mirror, I stared myself in the eye and nodded, "Right. You are not going to have a day like yesterday. You are going to have a great day." I picked out an unused red lipstick that I had bought a while back (and then decided that I didn't have the confidence to pull it off) and tugged the lid off. It's amazing what red lips and a black line across your eye lid can do for self-confidence. I puckered my lips and narrowed my eyes, "So what if Isaac thinks you are a bit of a freak? You've lasted this far without a boyfriend, you can last a lot longer."  
I sighed and put the lipstick in my bag. To be honest, I was a little disappointed that I hadn't got to know Isaac better. We were still lab partners and he was going to _have_ to speak to me. I just knew now not to mention his dad again. He'd made it pretty clear that he wanted nothing to do with my 'psychic' warnings of danger, so I'd have to keep our conversations strictly work related from now on.  
I stared at my reflection whilst shrugging on my black leather jacket and found that I liked what I saw. It was time to make peace with myself.  
"Emily, you were not responsible for the death of the bus driver." My voice sounded strong and confident, and I felt the weight of blame lift slightly off my shoulders, "It was the Alpha. Not you. And once you figure out how to control your power, he'll pay for it."

**…**

I marched into school and headed straight for the strawberry blonde girl that used to terrify me.  
"Lydia," I beamed my red lips at the girl, who flipped her hair over her shoulder and returned the smile, "I can't make the bowling date tonight. Isaac and I aren't really speaking... But it was really nice of you to invite me." I meant it honestly. Despite her popularity, Lydia had been kind to me recently and I needed a normal girl friend now that Jane and the others seemed to be ignoring my existence.  
Lydia pouted and blew out her cheeks, "Oh no…" But then her green eyes rolled over my face and choice of clothing before raising an eyebrow and objected, "Wait- he said no to all of this!" She waved a perfectly painted nailed hand up and down.  
Laughing, I pushed back my hair and shook my head, "It's alright, I'm fine. Maybe another time?"  
Before Lydia could answer, Allison strolled over and made a sad face, "Bad news guys, Scott's having to pick his Mom up from work tonight, so we can't make bowing."  
Lydia leaned back on her locker and sighed overdramatically, "I'm not sitting in by myself with Jackson making me watch sports again!"  
"Why don't we do something just the three of us?" I suggested, pushing away the nerves that were trying to crawl into my stomach. Hey, I deserve to have some fun!  
It was as if Christmas had come early for Lydia. Her eyes lit up and she pulled me and Allison into a hug, "Yes! Girly night in! We can go and grab some films and talk about how ridiculous our boys are."

**…**

After a, thankfully, normal and not stressful day at school, I drove home and waited for Allison to pick me up. My Mom poked her head into my room and I was reapplying my lipstick.  
"How are you feeling, Em?" She asked, sounding quite worried.  
I hesitated before replying slowly, "Fiiiine, why?"  
"Dad said he got a call from the school yesterday saying you fainted. But when I got home from work last night you were already asleep."  
"Oh, don't worry, I'm fine," I flashed her a grin, "Just had a bit of a hectic day, that's all."  
Her eyebrows knit together in concern, "Okay… Just know that you can come to me with anything, Emily, if there is anything going on. If you are having panic attacks again or…"  
"Nope. I'm fine. Totally fine." My strong mind-set that had lasted all day almost crumbled, but I reminded myself that I had to keep my parents out of the werewolf mess. Maybe if I repeated that I was fine enough times, it would eventually become true…

Allison beeped her horn outside so I kissed my Mom on the cheek and hurried out. Lydia was already sat shotgun, so I jumped into the back and greeted my new friends.  
"So I'm totally up for watching The Notebook, but Allison thinks it's way too soppy. Tell her it's not," Lydia chatted, curling her hair around one shoulder and twisting to look at me.  
"Uh, I'm easy really. As long as it's nothing dead scary, I'll watch anything," I replied, seeing Allison rolling her eyes in the mirror, jokingly.  
"How about we just go and have a look before we decide?" Allison suggested, before Lydia could get too persuasive about watching The Notebook.  
"I'm not getting out, it's raining," Lydia retorted, folding her arms.  
Allison pulled into a space at the video store and I stared around at the emptiness of the parking lot.  
"Obviously no one wants to watch any movies tonight…" I muttered, pulling open the door and swinging my legs out. The rain splattered onto my legs and kicked up against my boots.  
"Don't be too long," Lydia called to us, peering at herself in the mirror as Allison and I shut our doors and walked towards the empty building.  
"Kinda creepy, right?" Allison whispered to me, walking cautiously through the main entrance. I nodded and followed close behind.

The video store was large and spacious, with the rows of DVDs stretching from wall to wall. In the centre of the room, an overhead light was flickering eerily amongst the dimly lit ceiling. I got a strange feeling in my stomach, as if we were being watched. Allison had slowed down her pace in front of me and was turning her head, surveying the room.  
"Hello? Anyone around?" She called out. A phone began to ring, but went unanswered, echoing around the large space.  
"Maybe they're in the back or something?" I mentioned, trying to put my mind at ease.  
"…Maybe."

Allison walked to the centre of the room, where the flickering light was and noticed the ladder underneath. But before I could ask anything, she stopped dead in her tracks.  
"Emily. Call 911." Her voice was shaky and she didn't take her eyes off whatever it was she had spotted.  
Curiosity overtook my common sense and I jogged to her side instantly. A pair of boots were sticking out from an aisle. Oh god. No. I stepped around Allison so I could see the whole of the body. A man in the video store uniform lay awkwardly on the floor – his glasses askew and his face fixed in horror. Blood was seeping out of his throat which had been ripped open with three deep gashes… All the breath left my body as I realised what had made that mark – claws.  
I stepped backwards suddenly and stumbled over the ladder, falling flat on my bum. The ladder knocked over and landed with a crash beside me, pulling the cord of the flickering light down with it. It must have tripped the lights because the next second, the store plunged into darkness. Allison span around quickly and crouched down next to me, holding a finger over my heavily breathing mouth. Her eyes were narrowed in concentration, as if she could sense something I could not. I was trying to speak, to tell her to run, that it was probably the Alpha who killed the man, but all I could do was bite my lip and stay frozen in place.

From the light coming in from the window, I saw the outline of Allison's shadow stand up slowly. She bravely took a few tentative steps forwards. I peeked around the shelf of DVDs to watch her. Through the darkness, two red eyes appeared and Allison ducked down behind the shelf opposite me, her face aghast. She looked at me with wide eyes and shook her head, telling me to stay put. Fear racked up in my chest. The Alpha is here. Oh god. What if it wants me? Maybe it knows what I can do?  
I plucked up the courage to peer around the corner again, but saw nothing but shadows. My mind imagined what things could be hiding in the shadows and I had to turn back again and shove my hand over my mouth in an attempt to stop panicking.  
The sudden noise of DVDs being knocked off a shelf made me squeak in fear. But when I looked at Allison, her breathing was steady and she was in control. I ogled at her in awe. How is she so calm? Just then, an eerie creaking noise echoed around us as a shelf at the end of the store toppled over and crashed into another one. In a domino effect, the shelves began tumbling towards us. Allison jumped to her feet and sprinted towards me, tugging me up by the collar of my jacket.  
"Run," She ordered, making for the door speedily.  
I followed, my breathing short and quick.

But I wasn't fast enough.  
Allison threw herself through the door a second before a shelf smashed over, blocking my exit. DVDs littered the floor and I had nowhere to go. Instinctively, I whipped around to face the shadows and screamed, my hands outstretched defensively. My eyes met with a monstrous figure, tall and bulky and covered in hair. The creature stopped mid sprint and sniffed at me with its long snout. My heart was bulging out of my chest and in that moment, I didn't dare breathe. It shivered, making it's coarse fur ripple. I'm going to die, I thought, as my hands shook in front of me. This thing is going to kill me. Like it killed the bus driver and the video store worker.

The monster took one last sniff at me before turning abruptly towards the window and leaping at it with giant strides. The glass made a deafening noise as it shattered across Allison's car, and I shielded my eyes away. I heard Lydia scream at the top of her lungs. But when I opened my eyes again, the creature was gone.  
The video store was wrecked and I fell to my knees in shock, trying to process what had just happened. I had seen the Alpha. And it didn't kill me. Allison appeared outside and gaped at me through the broken glass. Lydia was clutching at her chest in the front seat, completely shaken.  
"I think we'd better call Stiles's Dad," Allison managed to say, breaking the silence between us.  
I nodded, the adrenaline of the incident leaving me, and sighed. So much for a quiet night in. 

* * *

_A.N._

_Well this chapter didn't turn out how I planned it. It just sort of, happened :')  
I said last time that there would be an Isaac moment, but it's been pushed to next chapter, so don't worry. I wanted to have Emily see how strong Allison is and kind of introduce her as a good role model for Em.  
Anywho, I hope you are all still enjoying this, thank you to everyone who has favourite and followed. And to those who have reviewed: whatsunderneath, sillygame, femalewhovian, sillychick13, sarah0406, 16, vintagelove69 and evangeline-sibeliah (I really enjoyed your review and it influenced this chapter a lot!)  
So thank you again :D The next chapter won't take long, I don't think :')_


	9. Getting A Grip

Lydia and I sat shoulder to shoulder in the back of the ambulance, sharing a blanket thrown across our backs. We were both silent, watching blankly as police drew tape across the area and started clearing away the glass and debris. The dead man that we found had been taken away already for identification. Allison was talking with Stiles's dad and recalling her side of the story while he listened, concerned. A mountain lion – that's what we had told them. Lydia had muttered it over and over, trying to convince herself until a paramedic gave her something for the shock. After, she just sat and stared, a shell of the usual Lydia Martin. I knew the truth, but who was going to believe me?

About 10 minutes after the cops showed up, I heard a car screech into the parking lot and my head shot up as the familiar Jeep skidded to a halt. I saw the Sheriff put one hand to his forehead and shake his head as his son and his best friend jumped out of the car.  
Scott and Stiles are here – they'll believe me! I threw the blanket off my shoulders and tucked it around Lydia gently before speeding towards the boys. Allison got there before me and swung her arms around Scott's neck. Without warning, she forced her lips against his and kissed him like it was her last chance. Scott's hands shot out in surprise before grabbing her waist and kissing her back. Stiles and I reached each other and I tucked my arms around his waist, thankful that someone else was here who understood.  
Stiles chuckled in my ear, "Don't I get a kiss like Scott?" He joked and hugged me back tightly. His arms were warm, like Isaac's, but didn't feel as _right_.  
Ignoring his joke, I whispered, "It was him. It was the Alpha," before pulling away and looking him in the eye truthfully.  
"I know," Stiles ran his fingers through his short hair before pulling a sheet of paper out of his hoodie pocket. It was my drawing from the other night, when we had figured out my anchor. Of course. The beast jumping through glass – it was just like it happened tonight…  
"Do you always listen in to my phone calls?" Stiles's Dad appeared at my shoulder and frowned at his son.  
Stiles opened his mouth and gaped like a fish before replying, "Not the boring ones."

Scott strolled over, Allison's hand firmly in his, and nodded to me, "You okay, Emily?"  
"Yeah. Can we go home now?" I asked, hugging my arms to myself. I couldn't stop looking at Allison and Scott's hands intertwined.  
Sheriff Stilinksi twisted his mouth and sighed, "I guess, yeah. You kids get yourself home; we'll clean up around here. As long as there is nothing you've forgotten to tell us?"  
I shook my head, "No."  
"I'll take you," Stiles offered.  
Lying to the police was worse than lying to my parents, but it was what needed to be done. They couldn't help. It was all down to us. And we needed to get a plan together, fast.

I made sure that Lydia was okay and that her parents were on the way to pick her up before leaving her in the hands of the paramedics. The girl had a faraway glint in her eye, like she was both remembering and trying to forget the giant monster crashing out of a window towards her. I hope she convinces herself that it was a mountain lion, for her sanity's sake. Before I joined the others by the jeep, a shadow caught my eye on the top of the building. Derek and I looked at each other for only a moment, before he turned his back and disappeared into the shadows.

Once in the car, we dropped Allison off first because her own had to stay at the video store until all evidence had been dealt with. When she was gone, Scott, Stiles and I sat in silence, unmoving.  
Stiles's stroked the steering wheel with his hands and kept glancing at me in the back seat.  
"I saw Derek tonight," I decided to say when the silence became almost uncomfortable, "He was at the scene back there."  
"Yeah, he always shows up out of nowhere," Scott groaned, resting his forehead in his hands, "but Derek has no clue what's going on either."  
"Surely-" I begin, but Scott gets agitated and growls.  
"This isn't standard practice; we don't go out in the middle of the night murdering random people. We're not killers!"  
I gulped and clasped my hands together silently.  
Scott sighed and twisted around, "I'm sorry, Em. I didn't mean to yell… I just can't stand by and watch more innocent people being killed."  
Stiles perks up like a rabbit and says cheerfully, "Well at least we know it's not Isaac's Dad."  
"What?!" I shout, putting my hands on the front seats and pulling myself forwards to glare at him, "What did you do?!"  
The boy blinks at me abashed and goes, "Well… tonight, Scott and I were staked out at Isaac's house watching to see if his Dad showed any werewolf-y signs. But then we got the call about the video store as we were watching Isaac and his Dad eating dinner together so… he's not the Alpha."  
"Tell me no one saw you, dear god," I moaned, falling back into my seat, completely exasperated.  
"No one saw us, Em," Scott assured me, but I couldn't help and feel like they'd crossed the line. Isaac told us to keep our nose out of his family and they had borderline stalked his Dad. Although I'm sure my vision of his Dad meant something, it was obviously not to do with the Alpha, so I should try and let it go, for Isaac's sake.  
"Well," I take a deep breath and pierce each of them with my eyes and mutter sarcastically, "That only leaves the rest of Beacon Hills as suspects. Where do you want to start?"

**…**

A few days pass like a blur. I go to school and take notes, I go to work and serve customers, I go to sleep and dream of suffocating. Over and over. Lydia, Allison and I stick together like glue, bonded by the incident at the video store. Everyone at school was whispering about it, but it only added to Lydia's popularity. She pretended as if it never happened, putting on a giant smile and walking down corridors as if she was parting the waves. Allison and I followed in tow, sharing soft smiles and squeezing each other's hands in support. I couldn't get out of my head how strong she had been in the store. Where I panicked and screamed, she had kept calm and tried to investigate. If I was going to get better at drawing, I was going to have to be more like Allison. So I went home every night and practised. And every night the trance came easier to me. And on the nights when I woke up in a cold sweat, paint leaking up my arms, I wouldn't cry or call for Stiles. I would think of Allison and her determination in the face of danger. I shoved all the doodles and paintings in a folder, ready to show Stiles and Scott if anything dangerous showed up. Most were tiny details – a broken wooden chair, a clenched hand, a locked door – nothing that gave me any warning of any murders or attacks from the Alpha.

After a weekend of studying and working and practising, I dragged myself to school on Monday morning exhausted and draining coffee as if it was my life source. Chemistry with Isaac was first. He hadn't spoken to me since a week ago at lacrosse practise and I desperately needed to see him. Just to see how he was doing. I wanted to listen to him tell me about the most boring of details about his week or about lacrosse, anything, just to hear him speak.  
He was in his seat as usual when I arrived. Summer didn't even raise her head anymore when I walked past anymore, like she had completely forgotten who I was. She, Jane and Sarah must have heard about the incident at the video store, but not one of them made any effort to see if I was okay. I pushed it out of my mind, not wanting to be effected by such negative thoughts. Isaac was here and that was enough.

"Hey," I settled down beside him.  
For once, he actually raised his head and beamed at me, "Hi." The smile made butterflies flutter from my stomach to my throat.  
"How was your week?" I asked, casually, taking out my textbook.  
"Fine, thanks," Isaac glanced down and his hands clutched at his own textbook, just like the first time we spoke. He noticed the direction I was looking and immediately let go, flexing his fingers. "I'm sorry, I-" He stuttered out, trying to pick his words carefully but it all came out in a rush, "I heard about you getting attacked at the video store and I wanted to ask if you were alright but I didn't know if you want to speak to me after I shouted in lacrosse last week and I'm sorry and-"  
"Isaac," I stopped him in his tracks and flashed him a joking smile, trying to assure him that it was all forgiven and forgotten, "I thought we promised that we would only apologise to each other if it was important."  
His mouth hung open slightly before he spoke again, "But it is important. I don't want you to think that I'm mad at you."  
"I don't think that at all. And for the record, I'm sorry too," I whispered, moving my hand to rest over his.  
The electric current buzzed through my veins as Isaac and I gazed at each other.

"Right, settle down, I know you've all been studying hard because I expect no one to fail this pop quiz," Harris announced, holding up a stack of paper.  
Isaac coughed and pulled his hands to rest in his lap. My face started burning and I smiled to myself, glad that Isaac doesn't hate me. As Harris passed out the pop quiz, I sneaked a glance at the boy next to me and felt the butterflies take off. His hair was flopping over his face slightly and curling around his flushed cheeks. I wanted to reach my fingers out, run my hand through his curls and pull him towards me, kissing him suddenly, like Allison had done to Scott the night of the incident. But this was Chemistry class and I was going to have to find another opportunity.

**…**

I decided to find Isaac again when he had finished lacrosse practise, so for the rest of the day, I had a knot forming in my stomach. At lunch, I sat with Scott and Stiles and ate my sandwich whilst doodling on a napkin to try and take my mind off things.  
Scott and Stiles had been discussing going to visit Derek to find some answers, but Scott was very against the idea.  
"No way. He never tells me anything and it'll just result in him getting all moody and telling me to stop seeing Allison, like he always does," Scott was saying, shoving pasta into his mouth at the same time.  
"But we have no other leads. Emily hasn't drawn anything huge in a while and I'm starting to itch!" Stiles cried out, making dramatic gestures at his friend. I listened with half an ear and let my pen move by itself over the bumpy napkin.  
"Besides, I have so much Math homework, I'm failing so many classes and my Mom is getting suspicious of my late night outings!"  
Stiles rolled his eyes, "Do you want to do your homework, or do you want to not die. Because that's what'll happen, Scott! We need go and see Derek again."  
My hand stopped moving and I raised my head to look at the boys, "No you don't. Because he's going to come and see us instead." I turned the napkin around and showed them. Derek's face was sketchy, but recognisable. His brow was knit together and his arms were folded, bunching up the dark leather jacket that he was sporting.

**…**

It was during afternoon recess when I went to the girls bathroom that Derek showed up. I was washing my hands in the sink when a shadow fell to my left. Luckily, the bathroom was empty apart from me, so I turned and raised an eyebrow at the man whilst reaching for a paper towel to dry my hands.  
"You know, the one annoying thing about my ability is I never know the exact time of when it's going to happen. But Derek, the girls bathroom, really? This is where you want to finally talk?" I taunted him, discarding the paper into the bin and turning to face him full on.  
Just as I expected, or rather, predicted, Derek stood with his arms crossed over his check, brow furrowed. His presence was intimidating, but I remembered Allison and tried to remain strong.  
"No, not here," was all he said before stepping towards me.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up on a wooden chair in an unfamiliar room. My eyes shot open with a start and almost fell to the floor in surprise. Derek stood over me, arms still crossed; only the scenery had changed.  
"What the…" I whispered out, taking in the surroundings. The room was derelict and falling to pieces. The wall had been stripped down to its foundations, although old wallpaper could be seen in the better parts, peeling off and stained. Floorboards covered the empty floor like fallen gravestones and beyond the claw ridden door frame, I could see a broken and abandoned staircase leading to a second floor.  
I swallowed hard. This is exactly how the start to horror films start and I _hate_ films like that. Luckily, I wasn't bound to the chair so I could get up and run at any time. I didn't rate my chances though. I had no idea where I was and my captive was a werewolf who could smell better, run faster and kill me if he wanted to.

"How did you get me out of school?" I asked, out of curiosity. Because someone must have seen a scary older man carrying an unconscious teenager out of school and thought to call the cops.  
"I have my ways," Derek replied, mysteriously. He pulled a piece of paper out from his back pocket and showed it to me. It was the one of the Alpha jumping through the window. He must have got it from Stiles. "Tell me about this," he ordered.  
"What about it? It's from the other night when the Alpha killed that man at the video store."  
"But how did you do it?"  
"Do what?! Draw it? Because I'd like to know the same thing-" My voice went all high and squeaky like a child. Derek's eyes were terrifying me.  
"No. You sent him away. He didn't kill you. Why?"  
I shrugged, trying to seem like I didn't care, "How should I know? You're the werewolf! He sniffed at me a bit and then legged it out the window!"  
Derek put the paper back in his pocket and placed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose. Sighing, Derek told me, "We have less than a week until the full moon. He's probably going to attack then."  
"Why don't you just sniff him out?" I jested, not thinking about the consequences.  
Derek's stoic nature flipped suddenly as he turned and punched a gap in the wall near the door frame. I squeezed my mouth together tight and stared at him in fright. Holy shit, this guy could change moods fast.  
"Because his human scent is different!" He yelled, panting at the wall and staring at the hole he just made, before continuing, quieter, "Scott and I can find him, but not alone. We're stronger in numbers."  
"Like a pack? You do know that I'm _not_ a werewolf," I reminded the man.  
"You're something!" He yelled unexpectedly, making me shrink into my seat again.  
"Fine!" I exclaimed, "I'll try to help you! But you have to give me a clue! I've been practising how to control my power, but that doesn't mean that I can pick and choose what I draw. It could be anything, from someone stubbing their toe, to a freaking murder on the school bus! I can't just magically draw the Alpha's human form for you out of thin air!"  
Derek watched me with careful eyes and brushed his hands off. "I'll help you," he insisted, "Before the full moon on Saturday."  
"Great," I mumble and stand up, making a move to leave.

Derek shoots and arm out and stops me, his face cocked to one side like he was listening out for something. He shushes me and continues to listen. I gulp and wipe my hands on my leggings, wondering what he could hear. I didn't really want another run in with the Alpha so soon after the last one.  
Finally, Derek turns to me and says two words, "Hunters," and "Run."

My face pales and Derek has to guide me from the room. A gun goes off loudly and the bullet flies through the front door. Remember how strong Allison was, I remind myself as Derek shields me from a second bullet.  
"Out the back door and keep running in a straight line. You should reach the road soon enough," he orders, before sprinting to the front door and ripping it open with a roar. I see his face transform into a scarier one, with a thicker nose and hair sprouting from his cheeks. The gun goes off again and I take it as my cue to leave. I find the back door and creep out, double checking that the hunters had stayed at the front of the house.

And then I run. The forest around me blurs past in a greeny, brown swirl of colour. Soon enough, my throat begins to burn from the cold air I choke in and my lungs can no longer handle it. However, the growing darkness pushes me on. The sun had begun to set and I realised that I must have been out at Derek's for most of the afternoon. School was probably over and my car was miles away, leaving only my feet to carry me home. It's times like these when I curse my artistic talent and wish that I had more of an athletic side to me.  
I had been running for what felt like a good hour when the trees thinned out and twigs stopped crunching under my heavy feet. Finally, the hard concrete surface sent a spasm up my legs and I halted where I stood, doubling over and giving in to the burning pain that was flaming up in my chest.  
"Oh god," I breathed out, stretching upwards to rid myself of the stitch, when I saw a shadow heading towards me. I squinted and realised what it was a second before it hit me – a bike.  
Throwing myself out of the way, the cyclist screeched to a halt and tossed his bike to one side.  
"Emily?!" A voice made the pain in my chest melt away like butter. I was saved!  
"Isaac? What are you doing here?" I cried, watching him pull off his bike helmet. His curly hair stuck out messily and he pierced me with those blue eyes. He was panting, like he had been riding fast and his t-shirt was stuck to his chest.  
"Looking for you! Scott said-"  
But I didn't let him finish his sentence, because in that moment, I remembered watching Allison and Scott, and I remembered how I felt in Chemistry and I remembered wanting to act upon it.

I closed the distance between us and seized his cheeks with my clammy hands. Without a second of doubt, I drew his face down and kissed him softly on his warm lips. 

* * *

_A.N._

_Wow, bit of a long one this! I knew where I wanted it to end but so much had to happen before that :') I hope you are all happy, it took them long enough! Two chapters in one day as well, I am so on a roll haha!  
Next chapter won't be out until maybe Sunday because I have work and such, so sorry about leaving you on this, albeit good, cliffhanger.  
Thanks to everyone who has favourited, followed and reviewed, I appreciate every one of you and would love to hear from more of you! :D_


	10. Discovery

_This story at the time I'm publishing this has just passed 2,000 views and 1000 visitors so thank you with all my heart for showing interest in my writing, you're awesome and really make me smile! :D_

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Everything had moved so fast in the moments leading up to the kiss, but now that it was happening, it's as if a dial had slowed time down to let me savour every detail. Isaac had his hands politely on my waist, squeezing me tight, where I had mine on his shoulder and in his hair. At first, he had been so shocked that he hadn't kissed me back, but the second I had decided to pull away, Isaac had clutched at my jumper and brought me back, deepening the kiss urgently. His lips were warm and soft and so unsure of where his boundaries were. I wanted to tell him that I didn't care where he put his hands, but at the same time, didn't want to stop kissing him to speak. I could feel him smiling as my fingers caressed his hair and lightly ran down his neck, which made my stomach tie itself into a bundle of electric knots. My heart was crashing against my ribs, and not just because I had been running for miles, but because I couldn't believe what was happening. How could I have been so scared of this? How could I have been scared of his warmth and his touch and his heart, beating just as hard as mine?

I need to catch my breath, so I lean out of the kiss and Isaac rests his forehead on mine, breathing hard, his eyes closed. I can't help but let out a giggle and kiss him once more quickly, happiness running through my veins like adrenaline.  
"What… What was that for?" Isaac breaths out, smiling from ear to ear, eyes still closed. His hands stroke my back gently.  
Laughing softly, I whisper out, "Because I'm happy to see you."  
"Right," Isaac's face turns into a grin and he lets out a short laugh, "Well I'm happy to see you too then."  
He lifts his head up and the calming blue of his eyes take me in vivaciously. My cheeks feel flushed and I probably look like a windswept mess from my trek through the forest, but all that radiates from me is joy. I couldn't care less what I looked like.

"So, you were saying…" I reminded Isaac, tucking my arms around his waist and leaning into his chest. I felt so at ease being around him, like I didn't have to feel awkward or anxious about how I acted.  
Isaac's mind is clearly at a blank from the surprise he just got, so I go on, "Scott said something…?"  
"Oh! Yeah, you never showed up to watch lacrosse practice, and Scott said he hadn't seen you since lunch. So we got a bit worried and then Stiles mentioned some guy and something about the forest reserve, so I shrugged off practise and came looking for you," Isaac explained, "You aren't hanging out with creepy guys in the forest are you?" He adds with a laugh, nodding to the scenery around us.  
Sliding out of his arms, I raise my eyebrows at the boy and shake my head, "No. Unless you're a creepy guy."  
"Good job I'm not," He grins lopsidedly and shoves his hands in his back pockets.  
"Good to know," I smirk, before taking a glance back in the direction I came, wondering how Derek was faring with the hunters… "No, my… friend just called me so I went to see him about something. But it's all fine," I lie to Isaac, doing my best to smile normally. I hoped that Isaac wouldn't pry too much, because I had no idea how I could have told him that Derek Hale had kidnapped me from school before saving me from getting shot at. Now _that_ was a bit too much for a girl to try and explain. But for now, he doesn't need to know.

He seemed to be eased by my reply and thankfully seemed to sense that I didn't want to divulge any further. Then, he picks up his abandoned bike and wipes off some of the leaves that stuck to its frame.  
"Alright. Need a lift home?"  
"Need a lift back to school more like, I left my car there," I sigh, wondering how long it was going to take to get there.  
"School?"  
"Yeah…"  
"Right. Okay."

Isaac held the bike steady as I lifted myself up to sit on the handlebars. He leant forward before pedalling off and let his breath tickle my neck. "I might have to charge for my taxi services," He joked gently. So I twisted my head, and kissed his lips softly for a second.  
"Will that do?"  
Isaac coughs and can't stop the smile breaking out, "I'm not sure, maybe a few more."  
"Don't push your luck," Laughing, I swung my legs out in front of me and cried, "Go!"

By the time we made it back to school, the darkness had set in for the night and the streetlights were glowing like large amber fireflies, lighting our way.  
Before Isaac pulled in the parking lot, I glanced at the neon numbers on his watch and bit my lip slightly. It was just past 10 and by the time he will make it home, it was going to be past his curfew. We had lingered so much on the journey, riding down the streets slowly in case I fell off or a car rushed past. Stopping to laugh and kiss and breathe. I had made Isaac late_ again_. I only had to think about the vision of his Dad that had been haunting me to remind me how scary that man could be. I'm sure he'll understand though… Maybe I should go round and explain…

"Here we go," Isaac grinded to a halt and let me jump off, wincing slightly at how uncomfortable my seat had been.  
"Thank you," I hesitated, looking Isaac in the eye before continuing, "No, really, thank you. I didn't know what I would have done if you hadn't turned up."  
To this, he looked slightly confused, "I'm sure you friend wouldn't have let you walk home. You could have just gone back and asked for a lift…"  
Guilt squirmed in my stomach slightly, but I pushed it away. Isaac couldn't know about the hunters or the werewolves. He had hardly believed my 'psychic' sixth sense.  
"Yeah… Possibly," was all I could say.

The wrinkle between his eyes softened and he reached for my hand, "See you tomorrow?"  
I squeezed my fingers together and felt the heat from his palm, "See you tomorrow."  
Realising that I didn't want to leave him at all, I reached out and grabbed the collar of his hoodie, pressing my lips to his again. He grabbed my waist with one hand, awkwardly keeping his bike up with his other at the same time.  
"I'm going to make you late for your curfew," I managed to say after a time, disappointed and concerned. The cold was creeping in and I knew even my parents were going to be annoyed if I stayed out for much longer.  
"I'll deal with the consequences," Isaac whispered, kissing me again. But his tone made me place my hands on his chest and lean back, gazing up at him with sad eyes.  
"Get home safe, okay? I wish I could fit your bike in my car-"  
"It's fine," Isaac interrupted, hurriedly, "Good night, Emily."  
"Night, Isaac…"

Isaac's fingers ran down the curve of my jaw softly as if he was trying to memorise the curve, before he finally dragged himself away and biked down the road, giving a quick wave before he turned out of view. I hugged my arms to myself and sighed, feeling a bit like I was in a dream. Strangely enough, just as I had presumed, my bag was in the front seat of my car, keys, phone, purse and everything. How gentlemanly of Derek, I mused, rolling myself into the seat and turning on the engine. At least he's not a thief, even if he is the most terrifying human I've ever met.

**…**

I filled Stiles and Scott in rapidly at lunch the next day about Derek and the hunters before meeting up with Isaac. I had never seen him in the cafeteria at lunch before, and I found out why today – it's because he likes to eat outside where it's quiet and there are less people. I leant against him on one of the picnic benches and watched him pick at an oatmeal cookie, nervously.  
"What's up?" I asked, hoping that he wasn't about to tell me that kissing me was a mistake. Because I wasn't sure I could quite handle that.  
Isaac shook his head and stared at the cookie. He had been quiet all the times I had seen him today and wasn't really sure how to take it.  
"Nothing," was the response I got.  
Oh god. He doesn't like me.  
I sat up and crossed my legs, trying to watch his face for any tells. He was a mask, his blue eyes intent on not looking in my direction.  
"Oh. Sure doesn't seem like nothing," I said cautiously, "…Because you can tell me if you've changed your mind about me, I won't be mad. If that's it."  
Isaac finally snapped his gaze to me and stared, horrified. One hand shot out to cover mine and squeezed. "Oh, Em! No! That's definitely not it!" He exclaimed, "Don't you ever think that."  
"…Okay. You sure?"  
He nodded fervently, "Yes. Really, I'm just… My Dad just had a bit of a go last night, that's all. It's all fine though."  
I breathed a sigh of relief and intertwined my fingers into his, noticing how thin and small my hands look when enveloped in his.  
"I can come round and apologise to him if you want? It was my fault you were late home," I suggested, but his hand clutched mine in a viper grip and I noticed his mouth twitch slightly.  
"No."  
His tone meant the end of that. I was reminded of his frustration at me when I talked about his Dad after having the vision on the lacrosse pitch. He had warned me to stay out of that – whatever _it _was. Every family has their issues, I guess. Isaac would tell me if it was important, I'm sure.

**…**

The next night I had to work, so it was Thursday night when I managed to get round to visiting Derek again. It felt weird maintaining a normal life when I knew so much more than other people knew. I mean, I was working in a shop selling mugs while a murdering Alpha werewolf was plotting his next attack. My mind couldn't quite balance it all out.

I took Scott and Stiles with me, for moral support and general strength in numbers (Derek still scared the crap out of me). After Stiles turned the engine of his jeep off and we had jumped out, Scott sniffed the air and held out a hand.  
"Wait. There's someone else here. Someone I don't recognise," He explained, narrowing his dark eyes at the abandoned house. With all the speed of a werewolf, Scott threw himself into the back seat and covered himself with a blanket to avoid being seen. Stiles and I had no such forewarning so simply had to stand there awkwardly, waiting.

A blonde woman sauntered out of the house as if she owned the place. Held in her hand around her long curls, she held a rod that looked like it was crackling with electricity.  
"Who the…" Stiles gawped, running his eyes over the woman. I whacked him in the stomach and rolled my eyes.  
She slowed her pace to a stop and surveyed us, confused and intrigued. One eyebrow rose as she called to us, "You kids looking for a place to hook up or something?"  
I blushed and Stiles muttered, "Or something…"  
"No, seriously," the woman took huge strides over and towers over us. I licked my lips and swallowed, fully intimidated by her. "What do you want?"  
"D-derek…" I stuttered, looking to Stiles for support but his mouth was hanging open uselessly.  
"How do you know Derek?" She leaned right into my face, making my eyes water. She smelt of perfume and smoke, like gun powder.  
"Um, he, um, I used to- My brother- He used to be friends with my brother and I just heard he was back in the neighbourhood," I managed to lie, hoping that it would be enough to send the scary woman away.

She leaned back and pushed the end of the rod in to itself.  
"What's your name?" The woman was all smiles now, which was more than confusing. I didn't know whether to tell her the truth or not.  
"Emily… Emily Hoskins."  
"Well, Emily. Take your boyfriend and get out of here."  
It was definitely an order because Stiles was speeding towards the front seat and turning on the engine again before I even had the chance to speak back. I got back in the car and closed the door softly, making sure not to glance at where Scott was hiding in the back.

"Stiles, what are you doing, we can't leave," I muttered to him furiously, slapping one hand on the dashboard.  
"Yes but she is terrifying and I do _not_ want to know where she would stick that rod," he replied, hastily looking over his shoulder to reverse out.  
"We need to talk to Derek! There's a full moon _two_ days away and I haven't been able to predict any of the Alpha's plans! I need more information, Stiles."  
"Why don't we just look in the library?" Stiles suggested, shrugging his shoulders energetically. My head fell into my hands in defeat.  
"Stiles," I droned, "Stop the car, I'm going to talk to Derek on my own."  
"No way!"  
"Stiles. Stop the car. Now."  
The tires spun on the uneven forest floor as Stiles pressed the brake pedal harshly. He widened his eyes at me. Scott finally tugged off the blanket and threw it backwards.  
"Is she gone?" He asked, crawling up to a sitting position.  
"I think so," I replied, opening the door to get out and have a proper look at the house, still in view down the road. Scott joined me a second later and sniffed the air again.  
"Yeah, she's leaving."  
"That is really weird, how you can do that," I pointed out, giving Scott a strange look. He grinned in response and clapped me on the back.  
Stiles groaned and wiped his hands down his face, "You guys are the worst." He put on the handbrake and slammed the door on his exit.

"Chop chop," I urged, starting to march towards the ruined house, the boys either side of me on the forest path, ready to find out exactly what Derek Hale knew.

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_A.N_

_Bit of a shorter chapter than the last, but I am really happy with how it came out, especially the beginning! Feels weird not ending on a cliff hanger haha.  
Again, thank you to anyone who has read this, even if you didn't make it this far, because this story at the time I'm publishing this has just passed 2,000 views and 1000 visitors! I couldn't ask for more, you're all wonderful!  
So thanks for following and favouriting and to you those of you who review, you actually make my day every time I see an email saying I've got a new review :') I love hearing what you have to say!  
Next chapter should be out tomorrow, if I can manage to squeeze it into my day, so you don't have to wait too long!  
I am awful at thinking of chapter names so sorry if they are getting lame or boring :') it's what inside that counts! haha...  
(Also if you'd noticed, I realise that my time line has got a bit squeezed together so there hasn't been a month since the last full moon but I'm pretty sure similar things happen in the show so I'm not too worried. I don't want to go back and edit so I'm just pretending that in my AU, there are more frequent full moons than in reality! Hahaha, oops :P It won't make an impact on the plot too much so it's fine, sorry!)_


	11. A Watchful Eye

The door swung inwards with the slightest push of my finger. Scott went in first, on guard and listening out for any movement. I followed behind, the floorboards creaking under my boots. The house was just as empty and derelict as when I first visited – but it seemed to be missing it's only inhabitant.  
"Derek?" I called out, my voice echoing eerily around the entrance hall. There was no reply.  
"Maybe he's not home…" Stiles whispered hopefully. Scott and I glared at him, so Stiles zipped his mouth shut and widened his eyes at us.  
"No, through here," Scott beckoned us into a room off to the left – the same one I had woken up in last time.

Derek was curled up on the floor in a corner, clutching at his stomach and groaning. His shirt was off, showing his taught muscles and tanned skin– I tried my best not to stare, but my god, he was toned.  
Scott ran over and straightened Derek into a sitting position. Red marks had flamed up like lashes of a whip all over his body making me gasp out loud, my hands flying to cover my mouth.  
"Are you alright?" I cried, hurrying over and crouching in front of Derek.  
His head was lulled, but Derek managed to get enough strength to raise his green eyes and whisper out one word: "Healing."  
Oh yeah, because werewolves can do that.  
"Oh… Anything I can do to help?" I offered, glancing awkwardly to Scott.  
"Shut up," Derek grumbled before shaking Scott off his arm.

"Someone's not a happy bunny," Stiles whispered to me once I had stood up and joined him in the centre of the room.  
"Tell me about it. You think it was that woman?" I hushed back, forgetting once again about Derek's keen werewolf senses.  
Derek snarled suddenly, hissing out, "Kate. She's a hunter," before pushing himself off the floor with one hand and clambering to his feet, "Look, I'm fine now, get your hands off me McCall before I throw you through a wall."  
Scott backed away showing his open palms to Derek, who cracked his neck before standing up straight, the red marks had almost completely faded in a matter of seconds. I marvelled at the healing process before glancing away, so he didn't think I was checking him out – which I definitely _wasn't. _

"The Argents have got a clever way of keeping us human. They use rods with thousands of volts of electricity perfect for causing enough pain to deter a werewolf," Derek stared angrily at a crack in the boarded up window, as if checking for any signs of the woman's return, "She's trying different approaches to try and intimidate me into telling her who the other werewolves are."  
"She knows about me?" Scott questioned, throwing his hands up. Something clicked in my mind but it took a few seconds for me to fully get there.  
"No, she knows there is another beta but doesn't-"  
"Hold up a second," I interrupted, stepping towards Derek and Scott, "Did you say Argent? As in, Allison Argent's family? As in your girlfriend, Allison?" Scott and Derek shared a troubled glance that made my blood boil, "Is there anything else you have failed to fill me in on?! Does Allison know?"  
Stiles snorted and answered for them, "No way, she has no clue about her family or anything about Scott. Completely in the dark."  
"Thanks Stiles," Scott rolled his eyes, but it made me feel a bit better about lying to Isaac knowing that Scott was keeping a much larger secret.  
"Are you not worried?" I asked Scott, folding my arms and leaning into one hip.  
He shook his head smiling, "Not really. She's the one who keeps me calm and turns me back into a human when I'm struggling. Allison is my anchor. I know she will probably find out at some point, but for now, things are perfect."  
"Until her Dad and Aunt find out you're the other beta," Stiles chips in.  
"Thank _you_ Stiles. Now zip it."

I sighed and placed one hand on my forehead, thinking. Things were going to be tricky now that I had to start lying to Allison as well as Isaac.  
"Okay, so let me get this straight. The Argent's are the hunters; They hunt werewolves. We are also looking for a werewolf. Why not team up to catch the Alpha? He's dangerous enough for you to call it quits for a while, surely?"  
Derek shook his head at me, furiously spitting out, "You want me to team up with someone like that?" He waves an arm at the window expansively and I grit my teeth, trying to remain calm and in control.  
"Alright. I just thought that two heads were better than one in a situation like this," I narrowed my eyes at the man.  
"That's why we have you!"  
"Oh great. Now we're saved," I argue back sarcastically, "I've already told you, I need more information. That's why we came!"

Derek's fists clench at his sides and he stands rigid as a board. He leans on every word, emphasizing that he is completely done with the situation, "You want information? Okay, how about this. My whole family burnt to death in a fire, started by one of the Argents, leaving only my sister, my uncle and myself. My sister? I come back to find her dead in the woods, chopped in_ half_. Meanwhile, my uncle has been paralysed and scarred with burns for _eight_ years. You know what that leaves? _Me_. Just me. And this house. While the Argents are still happily living their lives as if nothing happened. Tell me how that's fair! They _slaughtered_ all of my family and I get no revenge. I get treated like a criminal! And then I have Scott running to me for help with his girlfriend, whose family has been hunting mine for generations," Derek's face was flushed with rage and he motioned in Scott's direction, "I have to teach this one how to not get killed and how not to kill others. And at the same time, the Alpha is still out there, killing innocent people and _I have no idea who he is_. Do you know what my anchor is? Not some teenage crush, but anger. And the hope that one day, I can avenge my family. That's what keeps me grounded. Is that enough information for you?" Derek finished and panted heavily, glaring at me.  
I blinked at him with wide eyes, shocked at his outburst. I had no idea that he was so alone. Stiles had told me that Derek had no family, not that they had all been brutally murdered by a member of Allison's family. I didn't know where to feel sorry for him or not. Derek clearly didn't want my sympathy: He only wanted to use my talent to give him the revenge he's waited for. There were no words for a situation like this – I was in way over my head.

So what I did was rein in my hurt and astonishment from his story and turn my face into a mask.  
"Thank you, Derek. I'll let you know if I come up with anything," I said, calmly and clearly, although he could definitely hear my heart beat pounding away.

**…**

I woke on Friday morning to find a painting on my canvas. My blood ran cold as my eyes took it all in hungrily, looking for any clues to help Derek. But the scene was so vague and uneventful that I had to give up searching for details and leave for school. The canvas was mostly covered in dark blues and greys, with tiny flecks of white for the stars. The full moon was clear and yellow in the sky, but underneath, the brush marks were so sloppy and rushed that all I could make out was the outline of the school building. There were a few shadowy figures in the parking lot, but who they were, I had no idea. However, to my relief, there seemed to be no blood or horrific injuries – maybe the full moon was going to be more uneventful that Derek predicted. Perhaps I'll come up with something more useful tonight…

In my free period, I decide to take Stiles's advice (even though he was only joking at the time) and have a hunt in the library to see if there were any myths about werewolves that would help. The library was silent and mostly empty when I arrived, clutching the strap of my bag and attempting to not look suspicious. My feet padded softly on the carpet as I made my way to the furthest aisle towards the alphabetical W section. I need something about urban legends or local history about creatures and shape shifters, I thought, pointing my finger out. Werewolves… werewolves… nope. Oh god. Well what was I expecting? How to be a Werewolf for Dummies? Maybe I would have more luck in the fiction section. So I made my way over and started rifling through a few old, battered books at random before I got agitated – everything seemed to be children's stories or completely wrong.

A girl appeared at the end of the aisle and waved a hand at me. I jumped slightly, having been so engrossed in my search, before relaxing and waving back. Allison smiled at me and walked over, hugging a book to her chest.  
"Hey," I whispered to her. It was only normal that seeing Allison would bring back the memories of what happened to Derek's family and I got a nervous feeling in my gut. How could Allison not realise what her family was like? I couldn't believe that someone so smart and strong could be completely oblivious.  
"Hi! Free period too?" She grinned at me in response, before nodding towards the book on supernatural creatures I had clutched in my hand. Uh, time for me to come up with _another_ lie.  
I sighed dramatically and rolled my eyes, "Yeah. Art class is killing me. I have to come up with a series of paintings based on mythical creatures but I can't find any good research to base it on," I took a quick breath, wondering how much I could say without arousing concern.  
But then again… an idea hit me and I realised that if there was anyone who could give more information, it was an Argent, "I'm thinking maybe something like werewolves or shape shifters? You've not got some book lying about at home that could help me, have you?" I laughed a bit too hard, trying to pass my comment off as a joke. Allison squinted slightly. I held my breath.  
"You know what's weird, my aunt literally gave me a book like that the other day. It has loads of my family history in. I've not read it thoroughly yet, but I'm pretty sure it mentioned some legend like that. Do you want to borrow it?"

Astonished, I stuttered a reply, "Y-yeah, that'd be great actually! You don't mind me hanging on to it for a few days?"  
Allison shook her head and the brunette curls floated across her shoulders neatly, "No, that's fine. Are you alright to come and pick it up tonight after school?"  
"Yeah, yeah, I'll text you when I'm on my way."  
"Great. Well, I'll see you at lunch anyway, I've got to get this Math revision done," Allison beamed before giving me a quick wiggle of her fingers and exiting the aisle.  
Not believing my luck, I stayed where I was stood for a good few seconds, not quite sure what had just happened. This way, I could find out more about the hunters _and_ about werewolves giving me information on the sets of skills from each opposing side. Like I said to Derek, two heads were better than one, and Allison had just given me the key to the other side.

**…**

It wasn't until I pulled up outside Allison's house that my stomach decided to knot itself into a twist of nerves. What if it's Kate that opens the door? What if Kate finds out that I'm borrowing the book? She'll be on me like a hunter to a werewolf, literally. It had crossed my mind that she will think I'm the other beta, and not Scott, but I had nothing to fear from these hunters… at least when it came to the fact that I am not a werewolf and am not the one killing people.  
Gingerly, I hoped out of my car and paced up the front drive to give a cautious knock on the door. I had text Allison to let her know I was coming, so please, please, please let it be her. I shrugged my jacket around my shoulders, trying to shield out the cold evening settling in and blew out my cheeks nervously.

About 10 seconds of agonizing silence followed my knock. I held my breath, until the door hauled open and I met with the familiar brown eyes of my friend – Allison. The top section of her hair was pulled into a bun on the top of her head, with the bottom half in perfect curls.  
"Emily! Hi, come in for a sec," Allison ushers me in and I enter the warmth of her house, my eyes adjusting to the yellow light in the hallway. "I'm literally in the middle of getting ready to go out with Scott," Allison explained, waving her hand to her half-done hair, "So just wait here a sec, I'll go and grab you that book."  
"Alright," I smiled after my friend as she fled up the stairs two at a time, leaving me stood awkwardly on my own, hugging my arms to my chest.

The Argent house was just like any other house, I thought, noticing the family photos hung on the wall to my right. But I wondered as I stood there, remarking how cubby Allison's cheeks were as a baby, how many secrets were built into the walls and hidden under surfaces.  
A voice startled me out of my thoughts and into the cold face of reality, "Well this is a coincidence. Or perhaps not."  
I whip around to see Kate leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen, a sharp smirk on her face. Frozen, I find myself incapable of speaking, but glance terrified at the stairs that Allison had disappeared up.  
"Oh, you don't have to worry about her. I won't say anything if you don't," Kate asserted, pushing off the frame and talking four noticeable steps towards me. "Emily, was it?" She quips, tilting her head to the side slightly and letting her long blonde hair fall past her shoulder.  
I nod and swallow hard, a lump sticking in my throat. I didn't know whether to take off and run, or stand my ground. Either way, Kate definitely had the upper hand.  
"I'd like to ask where you got the balls to enter this house," the woman raises one eyebrow and begins to stride forwards, closing the gap between us. I instinctively take a few steps back, until my back hits the front door with a jolt. "I mean," Kate continues, "I might be a little suspicious, considering that your _big brother_ knew Derek." I gulped as she brought up the lie I told in the forest and tried to keep eye contact with her. "But then I find out that you are friends with my niece, and guess what she told me: That you don't actually have a brother. How can that be?"  
Kate's fist hits out suddenly and pounds the door inches from my face. I flinch back and shut my eyes as she leans closer and whispers right in my ear, "If I find out that you have anything to do with Derek Hale, I will personally make your life hell. Have you got that, sweetie? I've got my eye on you."

We hear movement coming from upstairs so Kate immediately moves backwards, leaning into a relaxed pose with her hands on her hips. Her eyes are glaring at me, right up until the moment that Allison reaches the bottom step, when they soften and ease.  
"Got it. Sorry I took so long, it was under a pile of my revision notes," Allison apologised and handed the large book in her hands over. It was old and heavy, with yellow pages and a hand stitched bound cover. Kate takes one glance at the book and her face contorts into rage for a flicker of a second – long enough for me to notice.  
"T-thanks," I stammer, still shaken by Kate's threats. She was definitely on to me now having seen the book.  
Allison cocks her head to the side to pass her eyes from Kate to me and laughs, "Sorry, Emily, this is my aunt, Kate. She's staying with us for a while." Allison nudges her aunt with her elbow lightly and Kate turns on her charm, throwing back her head and laughing along with her niece.  
"Yeah, I bumped into Emily in the woods when I was walking the other day actually. She was with a boy, weren't you, Emily?" Kate turns her gaze to me again in a way that forces me to go along with the act.  
"Isaac?" Allison questions, but I shake my head.  
"N-no, I was with Stiles. Um, anyway, I'll let you get ready, see you at school, Allison. Thanks again." I make my excuse hurriedly before fleeing out of the door and sprinting to my car. I didn't want Kate to know anything about Isaac because judging by the threats she just made to ruin my life, she would thoroughly enjoy getting her claws into that.

I throw the book onto the passenger's seat and lean my head back onto the head rest, taking the time to wind down from the tension and focus on breathing. Kate was probably more terrifying than Derek, and that was saying something. Hopefully now with the book, I can get some more information and help Derek get rid of the Alpha before Kate fully clocks what my part in all of this is.

* * *

_A.N._

_Yay, bit of a long chapter to make up for the fact that it took a bit longer than expected. I'm sorry there is no Isaac, but he's in the next chapter so do not despair! I think this is a bit of a boring chapter, but I'm trying to flesh it out so it's as realistic and as true to the tv show as possible (poor Derek!). I edited it so much to try and make it a bit more interesting, haha. Shit gets real in the next one, I assure you! :') I'm starting writing the next chapter as soon as I've posted this one out so you won't have to wait too long.  
As always, I give my love to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed! You guys make me smile so much and I keep this story going because of you, so thank you! :D x_


	12. What Doesn't Kill You

The sound of my Dad's voice startles me awake.  
"Emily…" He drawled, poking his head around my bedroom door and surveying me with raised brows.  
I raise one hand to my head, intertwining my fingers in my hair and squeeze my eyes shut again. My heart was pounding against my chest – I knew I had been having a nightmare, but the memory of it has disappeared, thanks to being woken so suddenly. All I knew was that I had a suffocating feeling of being trapped and never wanted to feel that way again.  
Pulling the covers up to hide my face in the darkness, I call out sleepily, "Yes, Father."  
"You know it's almost midday. Were you not meeting Isaac?"

I bolt up straight, my heart rate shooting up again in panic.  
"Yes, yes, crap, I'm going to be so late, oh my god-" I cry, flinging the covers off and running to my wardrobe, throwing clothes onto the floor around me.  
"I'll make you a coffee…" My Dad replies, chucking a sock at me before closing my door behind him.  
"Love you!" I call after him, tugging a dress out from the bottom of the pile of clothes and changing out of my pyjamas in rapid time.  
In a moment of clarity, my eyes meet the canvas that I had put out the night before. It was blank.  
My whole body deflates and I crash back down to sit, slumped, on the edge of my bed.  
"Blank?" I whisper out, shrinking in a curled up position. I was about to give up hope, when I remembered the night Stiles had stayed over and my painting had turned up on the mirror in the bathroom.  
I run there immediately, half dressed and wild, and fling open the door.  
"No…" I grit my teeth, met with a clean and untouched mirror. There has got to be something! It's the full moon tonight. I _need_ to have drawn something! The only thing we have to go on is a sloppy, messed up painting of the school. And that is _nothing_. I spent hours last night, and I mean, hours, pouring over the pages in Allison's book. Most of it was in a language that I think was Latin, but I thought maybe the pictures would at least trigger something!

I go back to my room and begin searching through all my sketchbooks and notepads but come up empty handed. At this rate, I'm definitely going to be late meeting Isaac, however, I have to make sure. I glance at the time – it's almost 12 and I was supposed to be picking him up at half past. Isaac had decided that he wanted us to go on a proper date and planned for the two of us to go bowling, seeing as Lydia's group date never worked out. So I flopped on my bed and reached for my cell phone, so I could let him know I might be a bit late, but when I press the screen, I find that I already have a voicemail from him. The time that it said he rang me at made me really confused – 4:15am. That can't be right. Why would he be ringing me at that time? No wonder I didn't pick up.

I pressed the button to listen to it and held the phone to my ear, feeling faintly worried and breathless. Isaac's voice immediately set me on edge and I clutched the phone with clammy hands. He was shaky and breathing hard as he spoke, "Em… Em… I'm so sorry… I- I-" I heard Isaac shuffling about. He sniffed and took a deep breath, "Em, I'm going to have to cancel our- our date. Em, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. It's my fault. I just- I'm sorry. Don't come and pick me up tomorrow. I'll- I'll see you on Monday." My heart was in my mouth. I waited in the silence as Isaac paused again, "…Don't worry, I'm fine. Just- I'll explain on Monday." And then he hung up.

I lay there for a few seconds, still clutching my phone as if it would bring Isaac's voice back. Then I set it down with shaking hands and rolled myself to sitting, running a hand through my hair. My face was astounded, my mouth open slightly in shock. That wasn't just a cancellation. Isaac was beyond hurt and no one could convince me otherwise.  
I finished getting ready automatically, like a robot, answering my Dad when he asked me questions as I ate some toast and pretending that everything was fine.

Then I got in my car and drove straight for Isaac's house. No way was I going to let a phone call like that go without checking he was alright. What did he think I would do? Accept that and go on my day like nothing happened? No way.  
Pulling up a few houses down, I tugged my cell phone out of my jacket pocket and hit the call button. It was about 8 rings before he picked up – my concern rising with each shrill ring.  
"Emily?" Isaac answered, sounding exhausted and apprehensive.  
"Isaac. Are you alright?" I asked, leaning my elbow against the window next to me.  
"…Yeah, fine." Well if that wasn't a downright lie, I don't know what is.  
"You definitely didn't sound fine in that voicemail. Isaac, 4am, are you kidding? What happened?" I questioned him, finding myself frustrated.  
"I know, I-" Isaac took a deep breath before replying, "It's complicated, Em."  
"Well un-complicate it for me. I'm going out of my mind worrying about you! Are you hurt?"  
"…No."  
"Well great, because I'm at your house now." I told him, getting out the car and locking it.  
"What? You're what?! No, Emily, I'm fine, please-"

I ignored his pleas, hung up and marched right up to his door. I heard someone crashing down the stairs and it flung open before I had even reached out my hand to press the doorbell.

Isaac stood there, panic stricken and wide eyed. His hoodie was caught up around his stomach, showing the t-shirt underneath and telling me that he had pulled it on in a hurry. His hair was messy and he looked as pale as a ghost. But that wasn't what made my heart stop. It was his left eye – so swollen and purple that it was causing him to squint slightly. He lied. He is hurt. My feet faltered and I had to take a step back.  
Isaac took this move as a sign that I was probably scared of how he looked, because I saw him bite his lip and stare at me as if I was going to take off and run at any second.  
Slowly, I moved forward again and stretched out one hand. It hung in mid-air near his jaw. I was frightened to cause even more hurt.  
"Isaac…" I breathed out tenderly. I removed my hand and hung it limp at my side. I didn't know what to do.  
"I told you not to come…" Isaac stared at his feet, holding onto the door still.  
"Isaac," I repeated gently, "What happened?"

Someone appeared in the hallway and Isaac's whole demeanour tensed up as if he'd been hit with one of Kate's electric rods. The person made himself known to me as he clapped a hand on Isaac's rigid shoulders.  
"Who's this?" Isaac's dad peered down at me through thin rimmed glasses. He didn't look like he recognised me from that time I served him at work.  
"She was just leaving," Isaac in a monotone voice, staring straight through me like I wasn't even there. He was scaring the crap out of me.  
"E-Emily," I stuttered out my name.  
Mr Lahey frowned, the wrinkles around his gaunt eyes deepening and chided pleasantly, "Let's not be rude, Isaac. Do you want to come in, Emily?"  
Isaac's eyes focused on mine and his mouth formed a thin line. No. I do not want to come in. But Isaac is clearly not okay. I cannot leave him alone at a time like this.  
"Um…" was all I managed to say before Mr Lahey tugged the door out of Isaac's limp grip and opened it further.  
"Come on, surely you can stay for a minute?"  
It wasn't a question, it was a command. Isaac took a step back and allowed me in. As I passed him, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard before letting go and following Isaac's dad into the front room. Isaac shuffled after us, silent.

"Do you want a drink or anything? Seeing as my son isn't being a good host," the old man smiled at me with beady eyes and I was reminded too well of the vision I had: Where he had stared at me, unsmiling, grabbed me and locked me in a claustrophobic container. The one where I screamed as if my life had depended on it.  
I took a deep breath through my nose and smiled, trying to remind myself that it wasn't real.  
"Yes please, um, coffee would be great actually," I replied. I needed to get his dad out of the room so I could talk to Isaac, alone.

Mr Lahey nodded and exited the room, just as I wanted. Almost immediately after, I whipped around and seized Isaac's hand, pulling him into a tight hug, breathing in his scent. Isaac winced and a short breath escaped him. He put his strong hands on my shoulders and leant me back, shaking his head slightly. It made me wonder if he had bruises that weren't just on his face. Oh god Isaac, what has happened to you?  
"Emily," Isaac's gaze was fixed on mine and he put on a serious, commanding tone, "You need to leave. You shouldn't have come. I told you not to."  
Every inch of me wanted to grab him and kiss him and tell him that everything was going to be fine.  
"W-what do you mean? What happened? Isaac, please," I almost sobbed out. The back of my throat was stinging and I knew if I stayed in this tense atmosphere much longer, I was definitely going to start crying. He smiled sadly and ran his fingers down my jaw softly, just like he had the first night we'd kissed.  
"I'm okay, Em. I'm okay. Just got into a fight. Some jerks jumped me last night. That's all."  
"Then why can't I stay and look after you?" I asked like a child, and then bit my lip to stop it wobbling.  
Isaac ran a hand through his hair in the habitual motion that usually filled me with such elation, but here and now, where his hands were shaking and red, it made me feel sick.  
Lowering his voice to a whisper, Isaac tried to explain, "My Dad- he's just a bit uptight about it all. He's making me stay in… so it doesn't happen again. I don't want- I don't want you caught in the crossfire…"

He must have sensed that I was about to burst into tears from my face because he closed the distance between us again and kissed the top of my head, holding the sides of my arms like he never wanted to let go. I squeezed my eyes shut and raised my hands to clutch at the front of his hood. Remember what this feels like, right now. Remember how it feels to have Isaac here.  
He shifted and leant his head down so it was right in front of mine. I gazed deep into those blue eyes and attempted a wobbly smile.  
"It's okay. I'm fine. Go and call Allison or Lydia and go and have a day out somewhere. I'm not having you staying here and being bored."  
"I'd never be bored around you," I whispered out, getting an indistinct feeling that he was putting on a brave face.  
Isaac winced slightly, as if my words had slapped him across the face, then he pressed his lips to mine. I kissed him back, but it was different than all the other times. He felt rushed and scared and helpless. But I knew he wouldn't back down.  
"Okay," I breathed, "I'll go. As long as you promise me that you will never scare me like this again. If you are ever hurt or in trouble, you ring me and tell me there and then, got it? You let me know what's happening and I will do my best to help, I swear. Don't ever make me worry that much again. I can't bear it."  
Isaac nodded, his breath tickling my nose.

A cough from behind us made us both jump out of our skins. Isaac's dad strolled into the room, holding my mug of coffee in his hands. He set it down on the table in silence. Isaac's grip on my arm tightened so hard that it started to hurt. My head started to pound and I wasn't sure why.  
My voice was all over the place as I tried to make my excuses, "I've, um, just remembered, I told my Mom I would take her lunch at work today. She works at the hospital and hardly gets time. The canteen food is so gross, I thought it would be nice, so I'd best go do that, sorry, thank you for the coffee, I'll have to come round another time, I would have loved to stay-" I was babbling and couldn't stop. Isaac released my arm and gave me a slight nudge towards the door. I turned and ran my eyes over his black eye once more. Then he nodded, assuring me again that it was alright. One glance at Mr Lahey's mask of a face spurred a splitting pain that shot through my head so suddenly that I almost doubled over. I did my best grin through gritted teeth from the pain, apologised again then left, closing the door softly behind me.

My head hurt so much as I exited down the drive that I was certain that I imagined the noise of a mug shattering from inside the house. By the time I got to my car, I was seething and clutching my head with both hands. I collapsed into the driver's seat and locked the doors, shakily.

A vision hit me like being dropped in pool of ice and suddenly I am not sat in my car anymore.  
The school. The school at night. A full moon hanging in the ink black sky.  
"Is he dead?" A boy's voice asks. I turn and see Stiles. He's stood over a body, lying face down in the grass so I can't make out who it is.  
Scott is next to me and replies, disturbed and uneasy, "…I think so."  
A deafening roar echoes around us and we all around to Stiles's jeep, where a giant beast is crouched on the top, it's fangs gleaming in the moonlight.  
"Run! Inside! Get inside!" Scott shouts as he takes off towards the entrance and into the empty school.

As we shove a chair behind the door, the vision skips and I get a flash of different images all at once: the janitor, dead, keys, the sports hall, Lydia and a test tube and finally, the Alpha's werewolf form, howling in the boiler room.

I gasp for air and feel movement in my hands once again. The road appears once again before me and the vision sticks in my memory. The phone is out of my pocket before I even think about it.  
Stiles. Stiles. He picks up quickly, thank god, and I launch into a full blown enlightened account before he even has chance to speak.  
"Stiles. I know what's going to happen tonight. It's the school. The Alpha is going to be at the school. And you. And Scott. We're all at the school. But someone's dead. And the janitor. And for some reason Lydia is there too. But now we can get the edge on him. Stiles, are you getting this?"  
"Woah, woah, easy tiger. We do what now?" Stiles quips at me and I try to take deep breaths.  
"The school. Somehow the Alpha is going to be at the school, tonight. Stiles. People are going to die. But we can stop it. We can stop it now that we know. We're going to be at the school and we're going to catch the Alpha."  
Stiles mulls this over before replying, "Okay... Meet me at the school at 6pm, I'll bring Scott and let Derek know. I think I have an idea."

* * *

_A.N._

_Waaaaah! I should totally be asleep right now, but I couldn't stop writing this. I love this chapter! If you have seen all of season 1, you should know what's coming up next, but maybe things will happen a little differently with Emily involved…  
Thank you to everyone who has been following this or has favourited! You're awesome :D And I am loving reading all your reviews, it's so great to hear what you think! I say it every time but I honestly mean it! :)_


	13. Darkness Falls

The night is almost fully upon us when I meet Stiles and Scott in the empty school parking lot. I leant against the hood of my car, watching as the boys and clambered out the car and joined me in the cold.  
"This is a terrible idea," Scott throws his hands in the air, shaking his head, "But we're still gonna do it, right?"  
I push off my car and scowl, "Have you got a better idea?"  
"Well, personally, I'm a fan of ignoring a problem until it just… goes away," Stiles remarked, puffing out his cheeks and shoving his hands in his pockets. Scott and I glared at him for being unhelpful until Stiles shrugged his shoulders up to his neck and pursed his mouth shut.  
"We can get inside?" Scott turned to me and asked, anxiously.  
I nodded, "Yeah, already sorted." They both grimaced in doubt, so I sighed and went into the boot of my car to hold out the wire cutters that I had already used to break the chain on the front doors. I had found them in my garage earlier and figured they'd come in handy, along with the pepper spray in my pocket and the police on quick dial, just in case.  
Stiles's mouth turned up, impressed, "Nice."

A sleek black car roared into the parking lot to join us – Derek. The man slammed the door and ran his stony eyes over us.  
"This is a ridiculous plan," Derek scoffed, cocking his head to one side and folding his arms tight across his leather jacket.  
"It's the only one we've got," I snapped back, feisty, determined to not let anyone die tonight, "Scott – you and Stiles get inside now. You know what to do?"  
Scott nodded and flexed his hands nervously, "Yeah…"  
Stiles's idea on the phone earlier had consisted of us breaking into the school and using the intercom system to signal Scott's position to the Alpha by howling. That way, we could bring the Alpha to us first and plan a trap. There were so many things that could go wrong, but I wanted this time to be the one where we actually save lives, instead of ignoring what I saw in the vision. It was worth putting myself at risk to make sure that people in the future were safer, thanks to my ability.

Stiles gave me a quick, brave faced smile before turning to follow Scott into the school, leaving Derek and I to guard the entrance. Well, more like just Derek. I could predict without any special abilities that I wouldn't be much help in a fight.  
The boys disappear for a few minutes as they take their time to get to the office, so Derek and I lean against the back of Stiles's Jeep in silence. Derek was brooding and sullen, so I didn't bother trying to make conversation. He wasn't the most social of beings, preferring to stare at the moon with his hands shoved in his pockets than make small talk.  
After a few minutes of me shifting my feet to keep warm and licking my lips anxiously, Derek and I finally hear a noise. A pathetic attempt at a cartoony howl echoed around the school like a cat screeching in the night. It crackled through the old intercom system before ending abruptly.  
Derek rolls his eyes at me and mutters out sarcastically, "You have got to be kidding me." I try my best not to laugh as he sighs and shakes his head disappointed in his fellow werewolf's howl.  
"That was… great," I bite my lip and pretended that I didn't find that completely hilarious. I can literally imagine Stiles choking back snorts of laughter and Scott standing there, bewildered.

Derek actually smiled at me, and I was about to comment on how little he smiles, when Scott tried again for the second time. It was definitely a werewolf howl this time, sounding as deep and resonant as a secluded earthquake. It reverberated around the school and into the parking lot, where Derek's ears perked up and became alert. The noise continued, causing lockers to rattle and doors to shake at such a volume that I almost covered my ears.

**…**

"I'm going to kill both of you! What do you want to do? Attract the whole state to the school!" Derek pounced on the lads when they appeared in the parking lot again, looking triumphant and hugely pleased with themselves. I stood at Derek's side, folding my arms and facing the boys, my ears ringing slightly.  
"Sorry, I didn't realise it would be that loud," Scott beamed, obviously surprised at his own talents.  
"Yeah, it was loud. And it was _awesome_!" Stiles chirped, clapping his best friend on his back.  
"Shut up," Derek glared at the boy, intimidatingly.  
But Stiles wrinkled his nose and cracked, "Don't be such a sour wolf-"

Stiles's comment was cut short as Derek's eyes suddenly widened in shock. I twisted, in slow motion it seemed, to see a claw force itself into Derek's chest. Blood start to spurt out of his mouth, dribbling down his chin. We were caught off guard. The element of surprise was gone: He was here. The monstrous Alpha, so close that I could have reached out and touched him, held Derek's shuddering body into the air making his blood begin to flow more freely. I could feel his sweat and see the hairs on his snout but my feet wouldn't move - I was way too freaked. All I could do was stare, wondering how could be Derek be fine. And then not.  
"Run!" Stiles yelled and tugged hard on my sleeve before tripping over his own feet in the rush to get inside the school.

Somehow, I started sprinting away, wincing slightly when I heard Derek's body being thrown to the ground. Panicked and breathing hard, Scott, Stiles and I all shoved ourselves through the double doors and leant against it.  
"Lock it!" Scott yelled, pressing his whole weight against the door.  
"Do I look like I have the key?" I screamed back with a croaky voice.  
"Anything! Grab anything!"  
"What?"  
Stiles stood up as we argued and peered through the window.  
"Stiles…" I breathed out, warningly, "What are you thinking?"  
But he had already started to open the door, his eyes fixed on something.  
"No!" I bawled, clutching onto his hoodie with my fingernails.  
"Yes!" Stiles shouted back. And then he gingerly placed one foot in front of the other and slunk out into the parking lot.  
A growling rumbled faintly in the distance and I cried out, "Stiles! Stiles! Quickly!"  
I finally saw what Stiles had been aiming for – my wire cutters. They lay discarded at the foot of my car. There was so much open space between the car and the door. The Alpha had the advantage in every way possible.  
Scott started pounding on the thick glass covering the top half of the door in alarm. The Alpha was crouched low on the top of Stiles's Jeep, just like I had seen in my vision. Its large mane was outlined in the moonlight, leaning its front paws forward and stretching out its long back in a pouncing position. Its red eyes were fixed on Stiles, who had been creeping towards the cutters, trying to go unnoticed. Well, he had been noticed alright.

In a heartbeat, the wire cutters were in Stiles's hand and the next second, he had raced back to the door, thrown himself inside and locked the door shut with them. We all sunk to our knees and leant against the door, trying to catch our breath.  
"That won't hold will it?" I enquired through chattering teeth. My hands were shaking, so I curled them into balls and shoved them in my pockets.  
"Probably not," Stiles replied, inclining his head.

Scott got to his feet and examined the dark, looming corridor ahead of us.  
"Uh, guys… We should probably move," he suggested quietly, as a distant howl resounded off the lockers towards us.  
"Agreed," Stiles gulped, jumping to his feet and tugging me up from under my elbow. The three of us flew down the eerie corridor and entered the first classroom we found.  
Scott and Stiles went for the desk and started pushing it towards the door but as I glanced around the room, I noticed that we weren't safe here either.  
"Guys, stop. Guys. Scott. Wait." They didn't listen, so I slammed my hands on the desk they were trying to move and glared at each of them in turn. "Listen to me!" I cried out, trying to keep my voice down, "The windows. Look at how many windows there are, we aren't safe here! We need to find somewhere better and think of a plan B!"  
They both stopped and Stiles ran his fingers over his hair, obviously torn up, "Derek's dead. I can't believe Derek's dead."  
Scott turned to his friend sympathetically and stuttered out, "He might not be!"  
"Blood poured from his mouth, Scott, that doesn't count as a minor injury!"  
"What do we do?" Scott was losing hope and we were all completely out of our minds.  
"Let's call it quits. Try again another day. We get to my Jeep and get the hell out of here before we all get torn to shreds."

Stiles ran to the window and tugged a small flashlight out of his pocket, Scott and I each at his shoulder. Our cars were only a short range away, but as the light flickered over all three of them, our hopes of escape were blown out like a candle. The tyres had been slashed and the front of Stiles's Jeep was severely dented.  
Suddenly, the window next us exploded as a huge brick like object was thrown through it. I screamed and ducked, covering my eyes from the tiny pieces of glass raining down on us. Stiles's car battery skidded to a halt on the other side of the room. We collapsed under the window and stared at it, our hearts pounding so hard that I could feel our combined panic compressing on my chest.  
"We need to move," I whispered, more scared than I had ever been in my life. More scared than I had been during the vision of Isaac's dad. Because this is real. And we could die. I could really die here.  
"The locker room," Scott suggested, his voice hardly making a sound.

**…**

Once we had made it to the boys locker room, I sat down on a bench with my head in my hands trying to think of a clever, sensible way to get us out of this mess. How could we have been so naïve to think that we could lure the Alpha here and catch him without thinking it through properly?  
"Call your Dad," Scott ordered Stiles, pacing around.  
"And say what?"  
"Anything! A fire, a gas leak! If the cops show us, that thing is going to take off."  
"What if it kills everyone in sight, including my dad!"  
"They have guns!"  
"SHUT UP!" I cried, my nails digging into my hair. I couldn't keep listening to them arguing while I was trying to think.

Scott and Stiles both stared at me with wide eyes. I was shaking and suffering more than I was letting on, nevertheless it was hard to keep the mess from boiling over.  
"Please, just shut up for a second," I demanded through gritted teeth. I closed my eyes and let the silence sink in, clearing my mind of everything but the memories of the vision. Blood, a locked door, chemicals.  
Thinking out loud, I explained, "I saw Derek dead in my vision. That's who the body was. But someone else was also dead – the janitor. Scott you were trying to pick the keys off his body. We haven't saved Derek – the Alpha was too quick for that, so maybe we can get to the janitor. I just… I just don't understand why I keep seeing Lydia too?"  
"We'll think of Lydia later, right now we have to think of ourselves-" Scott began, but snapped his hand up to signal silence, his ears listening to something.

He turned and crept over the coach's office behind us, where I began to hear a faint rustling coming from inside the room. My heart was in my throat as Scott reached out a hand and twisted the door handle. All the apprehension flooded out of my body. The door opened and the janitor stared at us, confused and wrinkled, the keys from my vision hanging on a loop at his belt.  
"Oh my god," I sighed, holding a hand to my head, relieved.  
"What are you kids doing here?" The janitor scolded us, marching towards Scott angrily.  
"Please, sir, sorry," I came over and made up one of my on-the-spot lies, not even thinking about the words before I said them. It was the only way to save him, "There's a man with a gun in the school. You have to hide. Get into a cupboard and stay there, the police are on their way." I told him and the janitors face slid from rage to fear in one fluid motion. I obviously looked terrified enough for him to believe me straight away.  
"Oh god, no. R-Really? Is anyone hurt? What about you?"  
"No, it's under control," I told him, finding myself steadier with every word, "We've locked the doors, we'll be fine, now please, hide and don't come out – not for anything. Not unless you're sure it's safe."  
The janitor, thankfully, did as I said and scrambled back into the coach's office, pale faced and scared. Before he hid himself, the janitor had a thought and turned back to me. He twisted the keys off his belt and threw them to me.  
"Just in case," he smiled shakily and I stared at him, astounded at his kindness.

"I think," Stiles said, once the janitor was safely gone, "You just saved someone's life."  
"We're not out of the woods yet," I reminded him. There was still time for the Alpha to kill the janitor, but he was warned of the danger (kind of) and we had his keys now, which had to count for something.

A wolf's howl shocked us out of our relaxed state and shot a stream of panic back into our veins.  
Scott grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me, his brown eyes fixed on mine, "Emily. Think, what happens next? What do we do?"  
A scratching noise was getting louder and louder, inching towards the locker room. "Um, um," I stammer, closing my eyes again and trying to shut out the noise.  
"Emily!" Stiles was urging me to think faster.  
"The- uh- the boiler room. The basement. There's a locked room."  
"Great," Scott grabs my collar and we all take off, flying out of the room and down the deserted corridors, our footsteps pounding in our ears.

The noise behinds us fades away as we reach the stairs to the basement. Without even speaking, I tug out the janitors keys and start trying them in the door, one by one, my hands shaking from having to move so quickly. The locked room in my prediction.  
"Emily!" Stiles repeats, flapping his hands out nervously.  
"I'm trying!" I squeal, fitting in the 10th key. It slides into place and turns smoothly. "Oh my god," I breath out and let the boys through before slamming it shut behind us.

For a moment, we let ourselves feel safe. A savoured moment of relief. However, seconds is all we get before Scott's phone rings in his pocket making us all scream and jump a few feet in the air.  
"Oh my god, you could have put that on silent!" I scold him, trying to breathe normally.  
"It's Allison," he says, confused, before holding the phone to his ear, "Hello?"  
Stiles and I can't hear what she's saying to him, however, by the expression on Scott's face, it was bad. His mouth hung open and all the colour drained from his face.  
"Allison, listen to me," he cuts in, "Where are you? ...No, where are you right now? …Exactly, tell me exactly where you are …Get to the boiler room. Now. Go!" And he puts the phone down.  
I make a face at Scott, while a horrible feeling fills up my gut.  
"Allison is here, isn't she?" I ask, already knowing the answer.  
Scott waits a moment before nodding.

Next, Stiles's phone vibrates in his pocket and the caller ID reads: Lydia.  
"Lydia? …What are you- Yes- I know- wait, what? ...what?"  
Stiles's face falls and he gulps in a deep breath, "Lydia, you need to get to the boiler room, right now, you hear me? Right now, Lydia!"  
His hand falls from his ear and we all know what just happened.  
"Lydia is here as well. She says she got a text from me telling her to meet me here," Stiles explained, quietly, his face horror-struck.  
"That's what Allison said too…" Scott chimed in, "But we didn't send them anything…"  
"Maybe the Alpha is cleverer than we thought," I faltered, knowing that now Lydia was here, my vision was coming true. There were more people in danger tonight than we had wanted. It was supposed to be us and Derek against the Alpha, outwitting him and trapping him. Instead, we were the ones fleeing and hiding in corners like frightened mice.

It's as if all the warmth sucks from the room as my cell phone begins to ring. Stiles and Scott stare at me, horrified, guessing exactly what was going to happen. My throat began to sting and my eyes welled up. Please, no. Please, don't let it be.  
My hand reached into my jacket and my eyes fell on the name written boldly and clearly on the screen: Isaac.  
I let out a sob and shake my head fervently. No. No. No.  
"Emily, you need to answer it," Scott's voice was distant. I knew he was right.

Praying with every cell that our assumptions were wrong, I pressed the answer button and held the phone to my ear.  
"Hello?" I greeted him with a wobbly voice, steading my breathing.  
"Emily? What's going on? I got a text saying to meet you at the school, but there's no one here? Are you alright? Your car looks a bit beaten up…"

"Isaac, I need you to get to the boiler room. Now." 

* * *

_A.N._

_Once again, I am putting off sleep to write this and get it out for you. This episode in the school was one of my favourites, but with different characters in the mix, don't expect it to turn out the same ;D  
As always, much love to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed! I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who has read this story and enjoyed it!  
Not sure when I can get the next chapter out, I'm pretty busy over the next few days, but I won't keep you waiting too long! xx_


	14. A Night of Horrors

Stiles poked his head around the door every few seconds, watching for any movement and listening out for any sign of footsteps. Scott was pacing, and by the look on his face, he was getting angrier by the second – his eyes kept scrunching up and his hands were flexing in and out of a fist as if he could feel the claws forming already.  
"Scott, you need to be careful," I held out my hand and placed it on his shoulder, trying to ease his stress, "The full moon is effecting you as well, and the last thing we need right now is you going all werewolf on us. Especially in front of Allison."  
Scott ran his hands through his messy hair and let out a tiny growl that scared me off.

I left him to his pacing and joined Stiles at the top of the stairs by the door.  
"He's going to flip out on us if he's not careful," I said under my breath, hoping Scott was too frustrated to be listening in on our conversation.  
"I know… But how can we get the others out of the building when we can't even escape ourselves?" Stiles replied, glancing each way down the corridor again.  
"Allison might have driven…"  
"Yeah, and I wonder how great her car looks after the Alpha sees it."

Suddenly, the clipping of high heels resonates towards us and we see a girl storming down the corridor, followed close behind by another taller girl – Lydia and Allison.  
"Lydia!" Stiles gasped, holding open the door to the stairs down. The girls stopped in front of us, not pleased at all.  
Lydia shook her head furiously and pushed Stiles's shoulder lightly, "What's going on, Stiles? Why did you tell me to come here?"  
"I… I didn't- look please, get inside." He tried to usher her in, but she gripped his wrist and glared her green eyes.  
"The boiler room, seriously?"  
"Yes, seriously!"  
I tried to smile at my friends as if nothing was wrong– Stiles was right. We needed to get in and lock the door asap because the Alpha could be listening to our location and I did not want any of the people here to be harmed.  
"Where's Scott?" Allison stepped around us and made her way to the bottom of the stairs.  
"He's, uh-" I started, but Scott had already thrown his arms around the girl, holding her close. I saw his eyes soften and his whole body relax – Allison was a good anchor for Scott to have.

Lydia and I joined them at the bottom of the stairs as Stiles's kept his eye out for Isaac. Allison leant away from Scott and pulled out her cell phone.  
"Look at this," Allison turned the screen to face us all in turn. The text was from Scott telling Allison to come to the school. Lydia did the same and showed us her text from Stiles. "And you're saying you didn't send us these?" She asked, frowning, "How is that possible?"  
I interrupted, knowing our time was short, "Look, did you drive here?"  
"Yeah, I drove Lydia and I," Allison answered, her eyebrows raised in confusion.

Finally, Isaac entered through the door and headed straight down the stairs to me. Unfortunately, the black eye on his face was just as bad as it had been when I saw him earlier today. Earlier, Isaac had done all he could to send me away, yet here he was, running to my side just because of a simple text. A warm feeling flowed into my heart as I realised that he must have thought I needed him – he came for me. Just as I had come to him before.  
But just as he reached the bottom step, a creaking noise so loud it could have been right above us echoed around the room. Isaac slowed down and drew his gaze upwards. We all followed suit and I gulped – the ceiling was cracking and dust began to flake off like snow. It was going to fall in on us.  
"Run!" Stiles called loudly from upstairs and flung the door wide open.

Scott grabbed Allison's hand and tugged her out of the room, tailed closely by Lydia, who was having trouble speeding up the stairs in her heels. I took a deep breath as the ceiling began to collapse in pieces around me and leapt into Isaac's arms.  
"We have to move, come on!" He cried in my ear, over the deafening noise.  
Gripping his hand tight, I soared up the stairs two at a time and made it out the door just in time to turn and see a giant werewolf fall to the floor with a crash, landing on all fours. Darkness and dust swirled around his red eyes that were fixed upon us with a deathly stare.  
"The keys! Emily!" Stiles was shouting, but it fell on my deaf ears. I couldn't take my eyes off the Alpha. Keys. What is he talking about? OH. The Keys!  
Jumping into motion, I heaved the door shut and pulled the janitors keys out of my pocket.  
"Which one was it?!" I yelped, searching through each key, panicked and trembling. I tried a couple but neither were right. My cheeks were heating up at the pressure. Then, we hear an approaching growl making its way up the stairs at top speed, just as the key in my hand fitted the lock. I twist it closed and fall backwards, open mouthed in fright. The Alpha smacks into the door creating a dent. Scott wasted no time hanging about and orders us up and running again, fleeing from the banging noises behind us.

"What the hell was that?" Isaac yells as we take off down the corridor. I take his hand in mine again and give it a quick squeeze.  
"Mountain lion," Stiles offers, trying to jest and make our situation lighter. No one responds and I wonder how much the others saw. Would they believe the mountain lion story? Or would they realise that something much darker was going on here?  
We reach a fire exit and Scott shoves hard against the doors. Instead of swinging open, they don't budge an inch. I had never felt so afraid in my life, this was beyond scary. Our failed plan had been twisted and warped the night until all that surrounded us was locked doors and darkness.  
"T-there must be something blocking it from the other side," Allison guesses in a quiet voice, whipping round wondering where to look for answers. Oh god, where do we go now?  
"We're locked in?" I whisper out, my fingernails digging into Isaac's skin.  
"What was that thing?" Lydia sobs, "How did it fall through the ceiling?" She twists her hands at her waist and her bottom lip wobbles.  
"Can somebody please explain what's going on because I am freaking out here," Allison whimpered and clutched Scott's arm, "…Scott?"  
I could see that Scott was having a hard time thinking on his feet. He let out a nervous sigh and skimmed his eyes over Stiles and I to see if we could get him out of this mess.

"Guys," I stammered, "I think we should get somewhere safe first. We can't stay here."  
Everyone seemed to agree and surprisingly, we turned to see Lydia leading the way.  
"Up is better than here," She suggests, motioning towards the stairs leading up to the science labs.  
My vision clicks into place. Lydia. Test tubes. Chemicals. She's going to get us out of here, somehow. I give Stiles a knowing look and he understands immediately.

Reaching a science classroom on the first floor, we all barge in and start shoving the stacks of chairs against the door. Allison picks at her lips and stands back, watching us. The calmness under pressure I had viewed in the video store had obviously cracked under so much distress, because the girl wasn't handling this situation quite as well.  
"I- I just don't understand. Who locked us in? Scott, tell me what's happening."  
We finish the job of blocking the door and all stand around in the darkness, letting the fear fully sink in now that silence and time were all we had. Isaac wipes at his forehead, nervously. I'm weighed down with the decision of telling him the truth or keeping him safe, and one look at Scott tells me he's having the same dilemma.

When Scott doesn't answer Allison's questions, Isaac asks me with doubt in his eyes, "Didn't you text me and tell me to come here, Emily?"  
"No, no, it wasn't me," I reply, stuttering on every word. I have no idea what excuse I have for the text. It must have been the Alpha. He must have known. Bringing our friends here was a clever trap. Maybe he wants to kill us all. Separate us. Torture us. Oh god.  
Lydia is breathing heavily and has to sit down on the desk, "B-But it was a mountain lion. Like at the video store."  
"And the bus driver…" Isaac says quietly before something clicks. He takes a step back from me and pierces me with his blue eyes.  
"What?" I ask, my heart beat pounding away.  
"You… you said you could tell…" He was having a hard time getting his words out, which made me more than nervous. "You said you had a feeling… about the bus driver… You knew… And then you were there at the video store… And you're here now…"  
"Are you calling Emily a murderer?" Stiles jumped to my defence. My mind was buzzing with excuses and lies, but I was too dazed to do anything but stand there, useless.  
"No!" Isaac shook his head and flinched back slightly, "I'm just… I don't know what the hell is going on!"

Suddenly, Scott can't stand the arguing anymore and turns away from us, grasping his head in both hands. Oh no. Oh no. He's going to change. Maybe… Oh god. That's the Alpha's plan. He doesn't want to kill us himself. No. He wants Scott to do it for him. Then Scott could be a part of his pack. And with Derek gone, the Alpha would be more powerful. He'd be unstoppable.  
"Stiles…" I warn, nudging him with my elbow. Stiles's eyes go wide and he rushes over to his friend, who has started groaning quietly through gritted teeth, his knuckles white with tension.

"Why don't we call the cops?" Allison proposes, throwing her arms up exasperated.  
"No," Stiles replies harshly, still bending over by Scott to see how he was doing, "I don't want to put my Dad in danger."  
Unbeknown, Lydia held up her cell phone and dialled the cops before Stiles could even notice.  
"Hello?" She squeaks into the phone, "We're at Beacon Hills High School and we-" Lydia stops momentarily and gasps, the phone falling from her ear.  
"What?" I interrogate, stepping towards the shell shocked girl.  
"She hung up on me. Said they got a tip about prank calls to do with a break in at the high school and not to call again."  
"What is this?" Allison cries out, wiping her hands over her face, "Who's doing this? Scott!"

Scott takes a breath and leans up to stand straight away, doing well controlling his change. He rotates around to face us again in the darkness and says a name: "Derek Hale. It's Derek. He's been behind it the whole time. His sister, the bus driver, the guy at the store…"  
Stiles and I exchange a shocked glance, knowing full well that the last time we had seen Derek, he had seemed pretty dead. I had no idea where Scott was going with this.  
"And he's going to kill us too if we don't get out," he continued and Lydia let out a shocked "Oh my god…"  
"Why would Derek want to kill us? Why are we all here?" Allison questioned, not fully satisfied with his answer.  
Scott threw his arms up, "I don't know! Okay! I don't know!"  
"Is he the one who sent the texts? And called the police?" Lydia asked, folding her arms defensively around herself.  
"I don't know!" Scott shouted angrily, startling us all.  
After, Stiles claps him on the shoulder and remarks, "Alright, let's just ease back on the throttle here." I see Stiles's hand dig into Scott's jacket, trying to keep him here, in reality. We're cornered with a ticking time bomb of a werewolf.

"Stiles, I think it's time to call your dad," I gave in after weighing up our options. It was the only way to alert someone to what was happening. We really needed help, even if it came to telling Stiles's Dad the truth.  
Stiles groaned and dialled the number hastily.  
"Hey Dad… And it's your voicemail. Great, you need to call me back as soon as you get this- we're at the school and-"  
A huge crash from somewhere inside the school startles Stiles so much that he drops his phone and the screen smashes. We all tense up, on guard for any more noises, but nothing follows. Time was running out. We needed to get out of here, fast. The Alpha had probably broken out of the boiler room a long time ago and was on its way here.

While Allison joined Lydia sitting on the desk and hugged her friend, I glance around the room, knowing that there must be something in here. In my vision, Lydia is mixing chemicals, but nothing is giving me a clue to put that event into motion. My eyes land on a door with a blind drawn over its window. I walk over purposefully and tug on the handle. Locked. Good job I have the keys.  
"Guys… Is this the one that leads to the roof?" I ask, twisting my head to peer at the terrified faces of my friends.  
"Yeah," Stiles confirms, with a pale face, still gripping Scott with one hand.  
"We can get to the roof and go down the fire escape to the parking lot. So we could be in Allison's car in seconds and get out of here."  
Lydia's face lights up at my plan, but I notice Isaac regarding me warily. It sets a knot forming in my stomach. The main priority is to get everyone out alive, so I try to disregard his unease for the time being.  
"All six of us should be able to fit in my car at a push," Allison nods, giving me that strong, in control look that I saw back at the video store. I feel slightly relieved – now that Allison isn't freaking out as much, we might be able to calm things down.

A sharp headache hits me and my legs give from under the weight of my body. I crash to the floor, clutching my forehead in agony. I see Scott blurrily in front of my face, but he swirls into a distortion of colour and sound. It flashes so quickly that I hardly make out what is happening. The janitor still has his keys and lies dead under the bleachers in the sports hall. Scott tries to retrieve them and comes face to face with the Alpha, who howls so loud that it rings in my ears, turning Scott into a werewolf. I gasp and the scene changes. That is no longer what happens, because I see the janitor still in hiding and Allison trying his keys in the science room door. It's Lydia that the vision focuses on next: hair tied back and focused, she creates a chemical mixture that explodes on contact. Protection for when we escape. I see us running up the stairs to the roof, a faint police siren in the background, but then-

A hand is squeezing mine so hard that it feels like all the blood has been cut off. I blink out of my daze and see Isaac, knelt next to me, his eyes wide with worry.  
"Em?"  
"Hi," I whisper out, realising (with a slight bit of annoyance) that Isaac had just cut off the ending of my vision.  
"Are you alright?" Isaac swallowed hard and stroked back my hair, sending ripples of electricity down my body.  
I nod and bit my lip at him, "Just my head. Yeah, I'm okay now. I just… get these really bad headaches sometimes." _Liar._

He helps me up and holds me sturdily around my waist, sharing his warmth. I pass Allison the keys to the door. She sets to work on finding the right one when Lydia has an idea.  
"What if Derek gets us when we're escaping? We need some sort of defence," the girl puts forward, strongly. I almost wobble on my feet again. Knowing exactly what was coming felt strange, like I was in on a secret that no one should ever be told.  
Stiles saw my face and nudged Scott, who looked like he was having a huge headache of his own. I nod at them and purse my lips, as if to say: it's all going to work out, I've seen us leaving. Scott's whole body relaxes and he takes in a few deep breaths to try and calm down.  
"There's got to be something we can use," Stiles swivels his head about the classroom.  
"There is," Lydia replies, with a glint in her eye. She marches over to the glass cupboard containing a variety of chemicals, suddenly smashes the glass with her elbow and chooses a few carefully. When about 5 bottles and vials are placed on the front desk, Lydia places a hand on her hip and tugs her hair into a ponytail, just like I foresaw.  
"Wow… What are we going to do, throw acid on him?" Stiles commented, unhelpfully.  
"No, duh. Like a firebomb. There is everything you need to make a self-igniting Molotov cocktail."  
"Right…"  
"Just move out of my way," She ordered, picking up an empty vial in her hand and setting it down in the middle of the desk.

While Lydia mixes, swirls, pours and shakes her ingredients, the rest of us are left to wait. Allison finds the right key and it sits in the lock, until Lydia finishes. Isaac is still holding my waist, so I lift my head up at him. His face is set in worry – it was an expression that I could easily recognise on him now: the way his lips were tugged slightly to the side and the clench of his jaw and the wrinkle between his eyebrows.  
"Hey," I whispered, "We're going to be okay, you know."  
"How can you know for certain?" He asked me in return, not convinced by my optimism.  
"…I just have a feeling," I chose to say, hoping he would get the hint that it was the same type of feeling that I had about the bus driver. He might start believing we could get out this mess safely if he knew what I knew.  
Isaac licks his lips and doesn't look me in the eye, "…We really need to have a conversation about you and your physic feelings."  
"…Okay." I reply, even though I already feel anxious about the amount of lies I'm going to have to come up with.  
"If we get out of here," Isaac kisses my nose lightly and I smile properly for the first time since this horror of a night started.  
"We will. We're all getting out of here, alive and unhurt, I promise." 

* * *

_A.N._

_Or will they? Who knows? ;D  
Bit of a hectic chapter, I think I should have made it a little scarier to be honest, but I'm happy with how it's turned out. I've been pretty busy today, but I managed to get the time to write this so you could all read it :D  
This story has gotten so many views lately, I literally can't believe it! Thank you so much to everyone who had read this or has gotten this far :) And even though I say it every time, I love reading your reviews and am very grateful to those who have reviewed this! Please keep them coming, love you all! x_


	15. Frantic

My throat was burning and my chest felt like it was going to explode. It was a painful pressure that reminded me to not stop going for anything. Mine and Isaac's heavy footsteps were pounding down the corridor as fast as we could. It had all gone so horribly wrong. Keep running. Each step I took throbbed in my shoulder. Keep running! Isaac was slightly ahead of me, but wasn't checking back to see if I was following – I was panting so hard, the Alpha could probably hear us a mile off. The others must have gotten to Allison's car. They must have. It was only the two of us now; Trapped in a nightmare that I hadn't foreseen.

It had been going so well, we had reached the roof with no trouble.

And then-

He's clever, whoever he is. He knew the exact moves that each individual would take. He knew how to catch us off guard. But why?! What's the point of all this? Power? Amusement?

Whatever the reason, Isaac and I were definitely in trouble. And if this feeling in my gut was right – it wasn't me that the Alpha wanted his claws on.

**…**

"Here," Lydia passed Stiles a vial of the concoction she had mixed together and then gave the other to Allison, "Only throw them if we're all out of the way. I do _not _want all my hair burnt off, thank you."  
They both nodded, trusted to be the responsible ones of the group. Scott was having a rough time dealing with the full moon, his head had completely gone haywire but the flexing of his fingers seemed to be keeping him sane, for now anyway. Isaac and I brought up the rear of the group as we unlocked the science room door and made our way to the roof. He kept one hand on the small of my back and I loved it. Despite how terrifying our situation was, Isaac caring about keeping me safe made me feel amazing. I knew I was going to have to explain the full story sooner or later, but for now, he was still wanted me.

The cold air rushed over us as Stiles tugged open the door at the top of the stairs. We clambered out into the fresh air and stood around in a circle, making sure that everyone was still okay.  
"My car is just over there," Allison pointed at the ground to the parking lot, where her car was thankfully unharmed. I hadn't even thought about my slashed tires since the start of the night. What the hell were my parents going to say?  
I could have sworn that I heard a crunching sound, but couldn't put my finger on it. We were almost out now, so I figured there was no point worrying.  
"I'll try and give my Dad another call, just in case," Stiles said, raising the phone to his ear again.

Now that we were out in the open, the moon's light was soaking into Scott – I could see his eyes changing, flickering yellow then brown in a constant battle. Sweat was splattering his forehead. I went over to him as soon as I noticed and clutched his shoulder tightly.  
"Come on, you can do this," I whispered, out of earshot, "You're okay. Think of Allison, Scott. Listen to me."  
"Is he okay?" Isaac called to me, eyeing us curiously.  
"Yeah, he's just, uh, got a headache," I replied, digging my fingernails into Scott's jacket. Scott was giving me no answer, simply staring at the ground, breathing hard. It's game over if he changes in front of us. The Alpha will have won and we'll all be dead.  
I whipped my head up and looked around as the crunching noise sounded again. What is that?

Then, a sharp yell of pain escaped my lips as Scott suddenly gripped my forearm forcefully. My eyes widened in horror as yellowing claws started growing out of the ends of his fingernails.  
"Emily?" I heard Stiles ask, after finishing leaving another voicemail for his dad.  
"Stiles, get over here," I replied, trying to keep my voice from wobbling. I tried to yank my arm out of Scott's grip, but he was too strong. The boy was shaking and a grumbling sound was vibrating from his throat. I was sure that my heart had stopped beating.  
"Scott! Scott!" Stiles tried to shake him out of it by clapping his friend on the back.  
"What's going on?" Allison stepped forwards, cautiously. Her eyes narrowed at us.  
Scott's grip was tightening so hard that I was almost whimpering, and on top of that, I was sure that the growing crumbling noise wasn't in my imagination.

Everything happened so fast.

Scott, eyes yellow and beastly, let go of me and pushed Stiles with both clawed hands. Stiles flew roughly into Lydia and Allison, causing them to all collapse to the floor. The bottle in Stiles's hand flew in an arc through the air and shattered in the distance between Isaac and I. Fire and smoke exploded before my eyes. I flinched away feeling a blast of heat. Isaac was rushing towards me in a panic, but a second later, he had disappeared. I stood there in shock, listening to Scott's growl and a noise like thunder, trying to work it out in my head.

Then the floor gave way under my feet.

I fell through the air, my scream caught in my throat, before my back hit the floor with a heavy crash a moment later. All of my breath was swept out of my body. I lay there, winded and dazed. What just happened? Dust was swarming around me and a sharp pain was throbbing in my right shoulder. Chucks of the ceiling crumbled down around me and crashed loudly next to my ears. A roll of my head to each side told me that I narrowly missed landing on a science lab desk. Oh god. I screw my eyes shut to try and cope with the ache of my body.

"Isaac!" I cough out, trying to twist on to my side. I grimaced as the slightest movement made my shoulder scream in agony. Blinking away the dust proved to be useless – I could hardly see a thing.  
"Emily?" I could hear his voice calling out to me.  
"Where are you? Isaac?!" I sucked in a deep breath and braced myself for the pain as I rolled around onto my knees.  
My tormented scream brought him to my side almost immediately. His hands searched the ground in a hurry before he managed to find my hand.  
By the light of the moon shining through the newly made hole in the ceiling, I could see Isaac's outline crouched next to me, his hair covered in dust and tiny pieces of debris. Abruptly, his lips were on mine before I could take in my next breath. I grabbed his collar with my good arm and forced him closer as if nothing else mattered. Isaac kissed me with such vigour that it cleared my mind of everything except him and his touch and his breath. We are alive. And my heart was telling me that I needed him like I had never needed anyone before.

Isaac ran one hand up my arm and I had to pull away and gasp out in anguish.  
"M-My shoulder," I breathed out sorely, my eyes watering.  
An ear shattering howl rang out in the school, triggering Isaac and I to freeze. In the moment that it faded, we said nothing, until a second different pitched howl began to wail in response. Oh no. Scott. He's changed.  
"…What was that?" Isaac mumbled nervously, trying to be as quiet as possible. His hand was clutched on my good shoulder protectively. Isaac had managed to not get too injured from the fall, but the heat from his hands told me that he'd probably gotten a bit too close to the explosion.

Just then, a head popped over the hole in the ceiling and I felt a rush of relief.  
"Stiles! Are you okay?" I cried up to him, trying to focus in the darkness.  
"Me? I'm fine, Em, you're the one who fell through the floor!" Stiles shouted back, cupping one hand to his mouth.  
"What happened up there? Where's Scott?!" I called up to him.  
Stiles glanced over his shoulder and another head joined him: Allison. Her brown curls fell down towards us as she gives a slight wave.  
"Are you two okay?" She asks, concerned, before Stiles can answer my question.  
"…I think I might have dislocated my shoulder or something."  
"Well hold on, we'll get you out-" Allison made a move to pull back but I made a noise and stopped her.  
"No, Allison. Throw us down the janitor's keys. You guys get out of here, like planned. We'll take another route," I commanded in a strong voice that did not reflect how I was feeling inside.  
Isaac peered at me and whispered, "What are you doing?"  
"They can go and get help, Isaac. I can hardly climb a rope up, can I?"  
His mouth twisted to the side – he didn't trust my decision.

"No way! We have to find Scott as well – he just took off back down the stairs," Allison informed me, causing a knot of worry in my stomach. Our chances are small. But if they can get to the car, at least some of us will be safe. And who knows, the police might show up soon.  
I kept thinking of the Alpha staring at me in the video store before taking off. He didn't kill me. He didn't even touch me, which made me think that my newfound ability had more power than it was letting on. Even Derek was confused by his actions. Maybe he couldn't touch me. Maybe there was some sort of rule, or something, stopping him from touching me. It was this idea that I was counting on to save us.  
"Yes, Allison! You, Lydia and Stiles get to the car – it's safer there. We'll probably bump into Scott on the way," I said, trying to get to my feet. Isaac steadied me at my elbow.

The keys landed at my feet. They jangled as Isaac bent down to pick them up and shove them in the pocket of his jeans.  
"Alright... Be careful. See you in a minute," Allison smiled down at us encouragingly before her head disappeared from view. Stiles remained still for a moment and flashed us a wary expression.  
"Just… just get out of there, okay? And Em…" Stiles looked as if he was going to say something more, but he glanced at Isaac and must have thought better of it, "…Good luck."

Once they had gone, Isaac helped me over to the door slowly, careful not to trip over any of the plaster and wreckage from the collapse. I whack my hip on the corner of a desk and it shoots a jolt down my arm. I curse the darkness and have to bite my bottom lip so hard to stop me crying out again. Isaac pulled out the keys in silence and tried a couple in the door before it clicks open successfully.

"You ready?" He gulps, examining the dark corridor that stretched out either side of the door.  
"Yeah," I answered quietly, clutching my elbow to steady my bad shoulder.

At first, it was easy. A bit too easy. We tried getting back into the other science lab to take the door up to the roof again, but a row of lockers too heavy for Isaac to move had been pushed in front of it. Someone knows what we're trying to do…  
We crept down the stairs, each floor down raising the tension. Why is it so quiet? Where is he? When we reached the bottom, we tried the fire exit again, but something was still in the way. The only option left was to try to front doors again.  
"How are you doing?" Isaac asked softly, nodding towards the shoulder that I hadn't stopped grasping.  
"Could be worse," I whistled out through gritted teeth. Liar. For every step that I took, I was reminded of just how badly my shoulder needed popping back into place.  
"Here," Isaac took off his jacket and then his jumper before replacing his jacket again. Tenderly, he stepped towards me and wrapped the jumper across my body so that it tied at my elbow, as a sort of makeshift sling.  
"You can't push it back in, can you?" I whispered out like a pouting child.  
He shook his head, looking upset, "I don't want to do it wrong. Trust me, if I could, I would." Isaac took this moment to affectionately reach out his fingers and tuck a stray hair behind my ear. I gazed up into his worried eyes and bit my lip.  
"I never wanted you to get mixed up in all of this," I thought out loud, my voice cracking at the end. My eyes started stinging.

But before Isaac could reply, a huge crash shocked us out of the relaxed moment. Our heads snapped to watch the darkness of the corridor behind us. A pair of red eyes gleamed and I found my feet stepping backwards. The Alpha had waited until we were off guard.  
"Go!" Isaac bellowed, sprinting away in the opposite direction.  
I took after him, wincing at each heavy step. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and after a while, I stopped concentrating on how much my shoulder hurt and thought instead about what they would say when they found Isaac and I dead in the school. No. Stop. I can't let that happen. But would he kill us? I was useful to him because of my power, and he couldn't touch me if he wanted to, if I had assumed rightly. But Isaac… Isaac would be a perfect member of his pack, being already strong and agile from all the lacrosse he plays. If the Alpha got his hands on Isaac, he wouldn't have to use Scott. He would have the pack and the power he wants. But Isaac – a werewolf? I couldn't think of anything worse. Isaac wasn't a predator. He was mine, and I would never let the Alpha turn him.

My throat was burning and my chest felt like it was going to explode. It was a painful pressure that reminded me to not stop going for anything.

We were chased down the corridors by the scratching footsteps until I figured there was no point keeping up the hunt – we were going to have to stop running sooner or later. A glance back told me that the Alpha was gaining on us. We had to hide _now_.  
I sped up to pass Isaac and yelled to him, "In here!"  
Turning suddenly, I pulled open the nearest door and threw myself inside. Isaac followed suit and we leant our backs against the door to try and hold it shut, our chests heaving up and down.  
"What the-" Isaac tried to breathe out, but I shushed him and inclined my head against the cold door.

Simply breathing, I kept my ears out for any sign of the Alpha passing, but weirdly, there seemed to be no commotion outside the door. Maybe he ran past already? Maybe my heart beat was so loud in my ears so I couldn't hear anything else? After a few minutes of excruciating wait, I felt like it was safe to step away from the door.  
Sweeping my hair back, I asked Isaac in a hushed voice, "Where are we anyway?"  
I heard his hand search against the wall looking for a light switch. There was a click and light flooded the space. Well, the little space that there was: We were in the supply closet and there was about enough room for 5 people to stand comfortably.

Almost immediately, I know something is wrong. Isaac let out a noise as if he had just been kicked. I run my eyes over his face quickly – oh crap. He is completely panicking. His eyes had a far away, wild glint in them, as if he had stepped into a nightmare and didn't quite believe it. Turning, Isaac twisted the door handle that we both expected to open the door. But nothing happened. Isaac turned it again, with both hands gripping so hard that his knuckles were white.  
"Open. Why won't- Open- No no no-"  
I tried to help him push open the door, but nothing was working.  
"I think there's something against it," I pointed out, but I doubted Isaac could even hear me. The Alpha must have blocked us in with something.  
"Oh my god," Isaac stepped away and ran his shaking hands over his head, "Oh god." His jaw clenched anxiously on his pale face.  
"Okay," I tried to reason with him, "Don't worry, we'll be fine. Isaac, relax, just relax." I held up my open palms, but he whipped around in a panic and knocked over a box by accident, making him jump like a frightened rabbit.  
"No, no, no," Isaac kept on muttering, twisting the door handle again frantically. He leant his fists against the door and stared at the ground, breathing heavily, "Come on, come on."

I sniffed and felt myself start crying, completely terrified of him as he started pounding on the door hysterically. I had never seen this side to him before… he was so desperate. I hugged my arms to myself as tears started dripping down my face. Isaac's knuckles were starting to look red from his attempts to escape. Without thinking, he hurled around, bringing his hands up behind his head, but in the process, his elbow collided with another box and it came hurling off the shelf. Almost in slow motion, it whacked into my shoulder, the contents spilling all over the floor. I screamed louder than I thought I ever could.

All of a sudden, the door flung open and Scott stood there, human, panting and shaken. The vision of him went blurry as the pain from my shoulder threatened to knock me out. Isaac fled from the enclosed space instantly and he leant on the floor against a locker, his eyes not focused on anything in particular.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that, I'm so sorry," Isaac sobs and runs his fingers in his hair, clearly troubled.  
I feel my legs collapse underneath my weight, tears still flowing uncontrollably and Scott grabs under my knees to carry me. Darkness creeps into my vision. I'm almost certain that I can hear sirens in the distance, I remember thinking to myself before I passed out in Scott's arms. 

* * *

_A.N._

_Hi! Sorry this one took so long, I'm currently in the process of moving to Uni so I have little time on my hands. I hope it's alright! I feel like I kind of rushed it… I wanted to do so much in this chapter!  
Next chapter, I'll be moving on from the school and dealing with the consequences of everyone's actions, but it might take a few days because I don't know what free time I'll have!  
As always, thanks to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed! You guys are awesome, whether you have stuck with me from the beginning or have just found this story! Thank you :D_


	16. Slowing Down

There is a blur of movement in front of my eyes. I see rapid, colourful flashes between falling in and out of consciousness. There is a lot of darkness haunted by a swirl of fire, added to by the screaming pain in my shoulder as someone pushes it back into place. My mind could not work out what was happening now and what I was seeing in my head. I focus on the familiar face of Jane's mom leaning over me, pressing something cool to my head, before she swirls into a young boy who looks a lot like Derek. My throat is on fire. The flames return again, licking up against my face and there are shouts echoing in my ears that I'm not sure are real. I must be thinking of the explosion on the roof. But Derek wasn't there for that. Derek is dead.

Derek is dead, I remember, snapping up to a sitting position, sweat pooling on my back. My eyes adjust to the light slowly as I take in my surrounding – I am in the back of an ambulance lying on a stretcher. The back of someone's strawberry blonde head is facing me, a blanket covering their shoulders: Lydia. Why do we both keep ending up in ambulances?

A cold flannel peels off my forehead and lands in a wet heap on my skirt. I brush it away and try to get up. Every muscle is groaning for rest, but I need to know what happened.  
"Lydia!" I exclaim, twisting to the side and putting my feet on the floor.  
She whips her head round and her mouth falls open in relief. She cries, "Em! You're okay!"  
Putting my hand to my newly fixed shoulder, I massage it slightly and wince, "Define okay."

Jane's mom, the paramedic who helped me, appeared around the side of the back door and raised her eyebrows at me.  
"Emily, how are you feeling?" She asked me, smiling and friendly. Her concerned brown eyes were a mirror of Jane's and it made me miss my friend like a hole in my gut. I hadn't spoken to Jane at all recently – I should have made an effort to, but I didn't. It wasn't Jane's fault that all this werewolf crap happened. As my best friend, she should have been my priority.  
"A bit stiff, but doing okay," I replied, not meeting her eye. Jane's mom had always treated me kindly, I wondered if she knew that her daughter and I weren't speaking anymore.

Stepping inside the ambulance, Jane's mom gave me her hand to get me to my feet. She helped me try to remain steady as I hobbled to sit on the edge, next to Lydia.  
"Keep resting that shoulder and you'll be just fine. I'll go grab you a blanket, hun, sit tight," Jane's mom gripped my hand tight before turning around.  
Now that I'm outside, I can survey the whole scene. Flashing lights, cars and emergency service workers had flooded the school parking lot like moths drawn to a light. There was a constant underlining radio crackle and whispering of voices.  
"Crazy, huh," Lydia mutters out, her eyes unfocused and dazed, just like they had been after the video store attack.  
"You can say that again," I breathe out, taking in every detail as fast I could. This was insane. However it lifted a weight off my shoulders that I hadn't realised I had been carrying – we were safe. The Alpha will be long gone.

The Sheriff strolls out of the school, followed at his heels by two familiar boys. When they get close enough for me to eavesdrop, I am suddenly reminded that we pinned this whole thing on Derek. Who was dead. Did they find his body?  
"You sure it was Derek Hale?" Stiles's Dad tugs his mouth to the side, as if he wanted to believe it, but wasn't fully convinced.  
"Yes I saw him," Stiles nodded and elbowed Scott in the ribs, who joined in lethargically.  
"I spoke to the Janitor myself and he didn't see anything…" The Sheriff trailed off at the lost cause. But at Stiles's animated groan of frustration, he spoke again, trying to reassure his son, "Listen we're going to search this whole school and we're going to find him. Stay put."

The two boys shared a glance of distress, and then started towards the ambulance where Lydia and I were sat.  
"I'll be right back," I told the muddled girl and went to join Stiles and Scott so we could speak privately. I was alright walking, as long as I kept my upper body quite stiff, as not to move my shoulder too much.  
"Well," Stiles clapped his hands together and shrugged at Scott and I once I had reached them, "We survived, dudes, we outlasted the alpha. Being alive is good, right?"  
Scott scowled, "It was too close."  
"Tell me about it," I rolled my eyes and grazed my fingers over my shoulder, "How did you find Isaac and I, Scott?"  
The boy looked abashed and turned away from me slightly, "It's… complicated."  
"You turned wolf, didn't you?" I revealed what I had already guessed.  
"Yeah… It was like… Oh god, don't freak out, but it's like I _wanted_ to kill you. Lucky that your scream was so loud because it brought me back. I broke open the door and you were both pretty torn up…"  
"Yeah, lucky," I scoffed, "So the Alpha was trying to make you kill us, wasn't he?"  
Scott snapped his gaze back to me and stuttered, "Y-Yes! I tried not too but-"  
"Well the good thing here is that no one is dead," Stiles stepped in between us and held out his open palms.  
A cold wind blew around my shoulders as I dropped my eyes to the floor and replied, "Except Derek."  
"Derek isn't dead," Scott told me blankly, as a matter of fact. My heart stopped.  
"What?!"  
"Yeah," Stiles stuck out his bottom lip and agreed, "No one could find his body. He probably just needed to lie there and heal before he took off."  
"Nice of him to come and help us," Scott muttered, cracking his knuckles together.  
"So what happened to you guys?" Ignoring Scott, I turned to Stiles to get the rest of the missing pieces.  
"Well, we got to the car fine. The Alpha just didn't seem interested in us anymore. With you, Isaac and Scott still in the school, it left us be."  
"So it wanted me to kill Emily then? Because of what happened at the video store – you said it wouldn't touch you, remember? He wanted me to do his dirty work?" Scott wondered, lifting one hand to his chin in confusion.  
I shook my head, growing cold inside, "No…" I said in a hushed voice, "I'm not sure it wanted me. I'm not that much of a threat. It wasn't me that the floor gave way underneath after the explosion on the roof and it wasn't me who he trapped inside that closet; I was just there by chance…" I lifted my head and looked both boys in the eye, "It wanted Isaac. It wanted to turn Isaac and make him join his pack. The more werewolves he has control of, the stronger he is, yes?"  
Stiles's face showed me that he hadn't considered this at all and he ran his hands over his head and exhaled loudly, "Oh wow…"

It was then that I spotted the boy in question, sitting on the edge of an ambulance a few cars length down from the one Lydia was in. He was sat, staring at the ground with an ice pack over his hands and a discarded blanket hanging off one shoulder. His eyes were far away, like he didn't want to speak to anyone. Well, he'll speak to me. I owe him so many explanations…  
I was wondering where I should start when I made my way over to him. Isaac lifted his head at the sound of me coming but dropped it back a moment later. I figured he's in shock. Or he's embarrassed to have freaked out so much in the supply closet.  
"Hey, how are you doing?" I asked lightly, perching down next to him.  
Isaac clenches the ice pack in his hands and shrugs. Not the response I was hoping for…  
"Isaac-" I start but he interrupts me strongly:  
"My Dad's on his way." His voice was unusually cold.  
"I'm so-"  
"It's 3 in the morning. Do you know how mad he's going to be? Not only did I sneak out the house, but I'm involved in a police investigation for attempted murder!" Isaac growls at the floor and refuses to look at me.  
"It's not your-"  
"I know it's not my fault. It's not my fault that I ended up having a panic attack either."  
He's right. It's not. It's mine.  
"I didn't know that you're claustrophobic…" I tried to mumble an excuse, but it was the wrong thing to say. He didn't want or need excuses. He needed to know the truth.  
"Well, you do now," Isaac chided, licking his lips nervously. To be fair, he had a point, but now he was just sulking and it grinded on me slightly. I was trying to save our lives by hiding in that closet!

A silence hung in the air between us. I didn't know what to say or what to do. Part of me was on guard trying not to reveal the secrets I had kept from him for so long, and the other wanted to kiss him and tell him that everything was going to be fine. I couldn't pick either of those options.  
"Do you need anything? …Do you want me to stay with you?"  
"No. I don't."  
"…Okay." I swallowed hard, fighting back tears and made a move to stand up. One of Isaac's slightly burned hands shot out and grabbed my wrist before I could go. The usual comforting warmth that I feel from his skin seems sore and uncomfortable. His blue eyes were closed off to me as he spoke.  
"Emily... I don't know what happened in there. There are things that I can't explain… but I know you can. I didn't know what you were thinking, but you know more than you're letting on. Ever since I've met you, you've always been hiding something, yet you never let me in on the full story. I can tell when someone doesn't want to be asked about a certain subject – I know that look having felt it on my own face a hundred times," Isaac finished and peeled his fingers off my arm one by one. I felt like I was standing on end with electricity, pumping through my veins like a hollow throb of suspense.  
Once my mouth found a way to speak again, I stuttered out in a high pitched voice, so scared of losing him, "Well, w-we can talk- I can tell you-"  
"Emily…"  
"No! No- I can explain! Please stop, just don't say anything-"  
"Em…"  
"Isaac, just stop please," My voice cracked and tears started blinding my vision.  
"I can't trust you, Emily. We almost died back there." Isaac's words rang out in the cold air and echoed in my mind a few times before it sunk in.  
I took in a deep breath and tried to hold his hand where it lay on his knee. He pulled away and stared at me with sympathetic eyes. My heart felt like a stone in my chest.  
"Let me explain, please, I promised you in there that I would explain," I begged, wiping a few tears away hastily.  
"Just… don't. I'm too tired."

Isaac stood up abruptly, tugged off the blanket and started across the parking lot towards a car that had just pulled up. I could see his dad sat in the front seat, his face gaunt and red. Isaac's shoulders were shaking as he went to meet him.  
He was right – ever since he had met me, Isaac had gotten in more trouble with his dad than we could have predicted. I guess werewolves and strict parents don't mix. A voice was chanting in my head: Go after him! Go after him! Explain to his dad it was all your fault! Go Emily! Don't let him get blamed for anything.

But I did nothing.

And I regretted it more than anything else I had done in my life.

**…**

On Sunday, I called in sick to work and lay like a cocoon in my bed. My parents left me alone after trying several times each to coerce me out of my bed. They offered me food, an ear to listen, comforting words. 'Or do you want me to call Isaac? Did you want me to call Jane? Lydia? Allison? Stiles? Anyone?'

I simply shook my head and continued staring at the paint on my walls, hugging the quilt of my bed around me like a safety blanket. The three mugs of coffee they had brought me went untouched and cold on my bedside table. I wanted to do nothing and see no one. Every inch of me was tired. I've never felt like this before – like I didn't want to exist. Can't I just stop existing for a week or so and then come back refreshed and new, with none of this mess mattering anymore?

I had told Stiles last night to call me if Derek ever turned up. I wanted to speak to him more about the house fire that killed his family. I think I saw it happen when I got rescued at the school. When I got back last night, I had found a good few doodles of mine that related to fire incidents in the folder where I had been keeping track of them all. I figured that that's probably when all this started; I wanted more than anything to end it.

**…**

Monday morning came around a lot faster than I wanted it to. I considered not going into school more than once, but putting off facing Isaac everything will only be worse. I poured coffee into my flask in complete silence as my Dad surveyed me over the newspaper.  
"You sure you're up to going in?" He asked, compassionately, "Your Mom and I will completely understand if you want to stay home today."  
My throat was dry and raw, like I had been screaming in my sleep, so instead of speaking, I nodded my head and grabbed my car keys. It was time to be strong and face my fears. For too long, the wool has been pulled over my eyes. The night in the school had well and truly woken me up. There were things in this world that were scarier than I could have imagined.

Once I drove to school, I parked up and massaged the knot in my stomach. Being at school was bound to set me on edge; however I was trying to do all I could to set my anxieties at ease. Nothing will hurt me here. Not again. Not during the day. I forced myself out of the car seat and put one foot in front of the other towards the double doors.

As soon as I was inside, I took a long look down the corridor, filled with students who were chattering away as if it was just a normal Monday. They didn't have the weekend I had. Forcing myself on, I made my way to my locker trying not to think about what Chem is going to be like. However, just as I was twisting the combination in, a felt someone stop next to my locker, watching me.  
"Emily," A familiar voice floats towards me. I snap my head and gape at the girl.  
"Jane! Uh, hi," I stammer and the locker door swings open, nearly hitting my in the face. Jane is hugging her books to her chest defensively and blinked at the ground a few times before attempting a small smile.  
"Um, my Mom told me about… the incident at the school and how you were hurt…" Jane reveals in a quiet voice, "I just wanted to say… you know… and the thing that happened at lacrosse practice… um… Are you alright?"  
I am taken aback by her words, shocked that Jane had decided to show me a bit of decency after all the weeks of a cold shoulder. Finding my thoughts, I nod and furrow my brow.  
"Yeah, just my shoulder is a bit stiff, that's all," I reply, looking into her eyes and searching for a reason for her to talk to me.  
Jane shrugs and cocks her head to one side, "That's not what I meant… How are you with your anxiety attacks at the moment?"  
It takes everything in me to stop my mouth from falling open. She remembered how ill I can get in hard situations. No one else had remembered. Oh, Jane, what the hell happened to us?  
"It's… fine, yeah. The thing at lacrosse- it won't happen again," I assured her, feeling more and more comfortable around her by the minute.  
She gives me a wide beam before continuing slowly, "That's good to hear. I'm… I'm sorry, you know. For giving you a bit of a rough time. I guess," Jane shrugs again and finds her feet interesting. There is a hint of red glowing on her cheeks, "I was just jealous. Of you becoming friends with Lydia. I used to think it was so important to be pretty and popular, but then I noticed how stressed you were looking and- Oh Em, I was just scared that you wouldn't speak to me! When you had that attack at lacrosse, I wanted to come and check you were okay but then Isaac, Scott and Stiles were there and then my Mom tells me how you were injured…"  
I hold my hand up and stop her.  
"Jane," I whisper out with a croaky throat, "It's fine, honestly. Thank you for saying that. I've wanted to talk to you too. I think we were both as scared as each other! I'm sorry for not clearing things up, a lot of weird stuff has been going on and I don't know how to fix it all… But you're here now!"I suddenly find myself laughing and my eyes welling up with tears. Jane is back. She's here. Things are getting back to normal.  
Jane's bottom lip wobbles and before either of us can say anything more, she drops her books to the floor and flings her arms around my neck tightly. I laugh into her shoulder and breathe in her familiar scent. She is warm and comforting, even when her tears start to drop onto my shirt.

I know that this baby step is the first in getting Beacon Hills back to how it is supposed to be. I want my best friend and my boyfriend back before my life will be less cluttered with werewolves and the trouble they bring. I'm done with interfering in things that are bigger than me. 

* * *

_A.N._

_**I AM SO SORRY OH MY GOD**. I have been awfully busy and have had literally no time to spend writing this. I moved into my uni halls just over a week ago and it's been none stop ever since. This chapter has been written in like small parts whenever I could grab a moment. I am so sorry, guys! I will try to get the next chapter out in under a week, but I think the days of there being a chapter a day are behind us :')  
I just want to thank everyone who has supported me and this story by reviewing or favouriting – you are the ones who kept spurring me on to get this out. I have felt so guilty about leaving you hanging!  
I'll try to be better next time! Now that Emily has Jane again, she is going to try and win Isaac back too so you don't want to miss it ;D Remember Kate is still on her trail, Allison is getting suspicious and who knows when Derek will be back?  
Love you all! x_


	17. Confrontation

My conversation with Jane had put me in such a great mood that as I walked towards my Chemistry classroom, I thought nothing could bring me down. I tried to take a snapshot of how I was feeling to try and remember next time I felt like crap. I was light and it felt easier to breathe – what's the worst that could happen? I could face my fears and have no worries.

I then entered through the door and my heart stopped. It was as if someone had cracked an egg on my head, the way the chill ran down my spine. This room had been one of the ones the Alpha had been in last night. I could tell from the boarded up window and the dusty floor that had been pathetically cleaned. I was staring at the tape holding the wooden board up against one of the windows when a sharp cough brushed against my neck. Stiffly, I span around and Mr Harris was raising his eyebrows at me.  
"I'm sure the lack of one window will not stop me giving a pop quiz today," Harris peered at me curiously over his glasses, "To your seat, Hoskins."

I scuttled over to the lab bench where, thankfully, Isaac wasn't sat yet. He must be running late… I wasn't sure whether I was happy or worried about his lack of appearance. He'll just be feeling ill or his Dad let him have the day off because of what happened at the weekend or… Or he didn't want to see me. I clutched at the happiness that I had been feeling before with Jane, but so many 'what if's' were escalating in my head. Or. The Alpha got him. The Alpha followed him home and turned him. That's why he isn't here. Isaac has been turned into a monster.

No, stop it! I forced myself to listen to Harris, who was droning on about a chapter in our Chemistry textbooks that will be essential in our midterms. The students around me were turning open their books and pulling out pens. But I couldn't – it all felt meaningless. How did Scott do this? How did he manage to stay in school and listen to teachers whine about subjects that, in all honesty, will not matter when a ferocious werewolf was trying to rip out your throat? I had a choice between sitting here and learning Chemistry, or trying to save people's lives. I felt so done with sitting around waiting for the Alpha to strike and dealing with the consequences after he's attacked. No. I want this over with. I'm bored with waiting now.

My hand shot into the air and it took a second for Harris to lazily roll his eyes over me and pull one eyebrow up.  
"Yes?" He asked, not taking his chalk off the board, where he was drawing the structure of a certain molecule.  
"I feel really ill, I think I need to go to the nurse," I said blankly, not breaking eye contact. After my fainting episode in this class not so long ago, he has to let me leave.  
Harris sighs and I try to look as pale as possible. He was surveying me as if deciding if it was life or death that I must leave his class.  
"Fine," Harris says finally and he turns to his desk to scribble a hall pass for me. I grab my bag and scurry to the front, putting on a wince as if it hurt to be alive.

Then something weird happened. As Harris started to write, almost in slow motion, my eyes fell on a piece of paper sticking out from underneath a textbook that was open at the edge of his desk. I wouldn't have noticed it had I not have been worrying so much about the werewolves running around Beacon Hills. On the paper was a rushed sketch of a wolf and a moon, joined together by a series of patterns that I definitely recognised from somewhere. Stealthily, I checked that Harris wasn't looking and slid the paper out with my thumb and forefinger. His gaze shot up as soon as I had shoved the paper behind my back. Disgruntled, he handed me the note and signalled for me to leave without any suspicion. Needless to say, I exited the classroom immediately, paper in hand, my heart pounding as if I had just tried to rob a bank.

What the hell is this? I scan my eyes over the drawing once I am standing in the middle of the empty corridor. A snarling wolf was facing the moon, and the pattern, I realised now that I looked closer, was made up of arrows. I was certain that I had come across this before, so instead of skipping school to search for Derek like I had planned, I made for the library.

It was near empty in the library when I arrived, so I settled down in a corner and tugged out the book Allison had leant me about her family. I had taken to carrying it around, just in case. Kate had scared me so much that if she ever came searching for it back, I could have returned it straight away and left without any difficulties.

Hurriedly, I flick through the pages, searching for this mystery symbol. In all my madness, I do not pay attention to my surrounding. My hands fall on a page entitled, 'La Bête du Gévaudan' when a cough startles me out of my bubble. Allison sits opposite me, her hands folder delicately. She is smiling, amused, but my own expression is of pure horror.  
"Looking for something?" Allison asks, politely.  
I try to stutter out and excuse but come up with nothing. My talent of lying under pressure has obviously vanished.  
"Don't look so shocked, Em," She rolls her eyes and shuffles around the table to sit next to me. My hands are frozen – one on the page of the book and one on Harris's drawing. There is no getting out of this. Not when Allison is already pretty suspicious.

"I've been wanting to ask you for this back actually, but it seems like we are on the same page," Allison whispers to me, pushing her hair behind her ears to concentrate. She reads the title of the page I'm on and translates, "The Beast of Gevaudan. It's supposed to be this myth about man-eating wolves who killed loads of people in France in like, 1765. 'Witnesses described the beasts as having formidable teeth, immense tails and an unbearable odour. They killed their victims by tearing at their throats with their teeth.'"  
Her eyes take in the sketch of the wolf and arrows, and suddenly her hand flies to her neck.  
"What?" I manage to whisper out. I can see in her eyes that she is putting the pieces into place. Allison is not stupid. She's figuring it out.  
Her fingers loosen and reveal a necklace around her neck that has the exact same symbol on. I gasp lightly and take a closer inspection.  
"My… my Aunt gave me this on my birthday. The same time she gave me the book."  
"Kate…" I breathed out. She had given Allison all the clues.

Then the penny drops and Allison's eyes are fixated on mine, only a few inches away.  
"It's not a myth, is it? It's real. That's what happened at the weekend. And the video store. It's all real." Her voice doesn't shake once – she believes in herself and her judgement.  
It's no use pretending to be ignorant.  
"Yeah… It's true. The thing in the school wasn't Derek-"  
Well technically, Derek is still involved, but I didn't feel like it was necessary to tell her that right now.  
Allison's eyes narrow on mine as she continues to understand: "It was a werewolf. And it was a werewolf who attacked us at the video store too. It killed the shop assistant. And the bus driver. It's not a mountain lion at all."  
I nod once.  
"But what does that have to do with my necklace and my family history?" Allison wonders aloud.  
"I think you need to talk to Kate about that," I suggest – it is not my place to get involved in the Argent's family business. And I didn't want Kate to get mad at me for taking the moment away from her.

"Here, you can have it back now," I close the worn down book and push it towards Allison, "I know more than I need to." I stood up abruptly and grabbed my bag.  
"Where are you going?" Allison asks, raising her head.  
I turn and glance down at her flushed face and feel nothing but admiration for her. But she still didn't know the whole picture. It was not my secret to tell her about Scott and Derek.  
"I need to get back to class," I lied, "See you later on."

**…**

"Derek! Derek! You're here, I know you are! Show your godamn face! Derek!" I screeched at the top of my lungs, cupping my hands around my mouth. I was stood halfway up the ruined stairs in Derek's broken down house that he called home. The place was eerily silent, except for the occasional gush of wind that trickled through the cracks in the walls. But Derek wouldn't be anywhere else. He had to be here.  
"Derek!" I screamed again, before jumping at the vibration in my pocket. Tugging my hand into my jacket pocket, I saw that Stiles was calling me. I hovered over the button to hang up on him before changing my mind and deciding to hear him out.  
"Hey," I answered, holding the phone to my ear and resting against the bannister of the stairs lightly.  
"Emily, where are you?"  
"Uh, why?"  
"Because you're not at school," he replied, concerned.  
"Well done, genius."  
"So where are you?"  
"Nowhere. Just at home, why?"  
"Because my Dad made a huge breakthrough in the Hale arson case and I need to talk to you about it."  
"Can you not just tell me now?"  
I heard him groan and heard Scott in the background muttering away. They must be in the canteen at lunch. I wonder if Isaac ever showed up to class…  
"Fine," Stiles sighed, "Listen, the bus driver and the guy who worked at the video store were both involved in the fire at the Hale house. The bus driver used to be an insurance guy who decided to rule the fire as accidental and the sales assistant was a convicted felon, known for crimes involving arson."  
I put one cold hand to my clammy forehead and let out a short breath, "So you think that the Alpha knew they were involved and is getting revenge?"  
"Exactly. The only thing we don't know is who else he intends to get revenge on."  
"I think Mr Harris is involved somehow. I found a sketch of the Argent crest on his desk," I revealed to Stiles.  
"…You know, my Dad actually interviewed him at the weekend. Apparently, years ago just before the fire, someone at a bar was asking him about how to start a fire."

I heard a creak echo from upstairs so I turned to face it, hoping to see Derek, but no one revealed myself.  
"You know who it was?" I ask in a more hushed tone as the movement in the house set me on edge.  
"Not yet, but I-" Stiles started, but I automatically hung up on him as I became more fixated on the noise.  
Shoving the cell phone back into my jacket, I kept my gaze on the upstairs landing.  
"Derek?" I call out again, my heat beginning to pound away. If it was Derek, he would have revealed himself by now…

A flash of blonde swooped into view and the next second the barrel of a gun was pointed in my direction.  
"Don't. Move." Kate ordered me, peering at me with one eye to aim.  
My hands flew up with open palms, "Kate!"  
"I've had my eye on you for a long time, missy. And I'm not liking what I see," Kate spits, shuffling her aim slightly.  
I shake from head to toe. There is no excuse I can give her, except the truth.  
"I'm not a werewolf, so if you shoot me, I won't heal," I try to explain, as calmly as one can with a gun pointed at them.  
"Well, there's one way to find out if that's true," She smirks and I do not doubt for a second that she wouldn't hesitate to shoot me.  
My eyes flicker to check how far away the door is behind me. Kate sees and fires a warning shot that flies inches away from my head. I scream and hug my arms to my head. Run. Run. Run.  
"I'm not a werewolf!" I sob out, my throat stinging, "Please!"

All of a sudden, Kate marches towards me, the gun falling to her side. I have a moment of quick relief before she grabs my healing shoulder and pushes in her thumb. I let out a scream that causes my eyes to dot with black. My legs give from underneath and I crash onto the stairs in a heap, my head knocking backwards into the bannister on the way down. Pain throbs in my shoulder like a heartbeat. I let the tears start to fall without any embarrassment.  
Kate kneels down next to me and wipes away a tear with a pretend pout on her face, "There we go, that wasn't so bad, was it? I know you're not a werewolf, you idiot. But you know who is. You know who the other beta is. And seeing as Derek so kindly refused to tell me – I'm going to get you to instead."  
"I don't-" I start, but stop when Kate places her hand on my shoulder again lightly, as if she was going to push it again.  
"Now, now, let's not play that game."  
"Let me go, please," I cry, blinking away the blurriness so that I could look into her cold eyes.  
"Not until you tell me who the other beta is."  
"But- Allison- Allison-"  
"Allison knows nothing, unfortunately. I heard you tell Stiles that you were at home. And you're boyfriend Isaac isn't capable of rescuing you in the state he's in, so there's no one to charge in and save you, princess. You may as well just tell me."  
My whole body ran with electricity. What. What did she just say?

Despite the heaviness of my limbs, I sat bolt upright and the tears stopped immediately.  
"What was that? About Isaac? What state is he in?" My voice is sharp and commanding, and I hoped it was enough to get information out of Kate. Maybe if I challenge her, she will play along.  
Her eyebrows raised, "You don't know? Oh, well, he's just a tad bit on the bruised side is all. I went to check if he was the other beta before coming here. I had my suspicions about him after seeing how close you were together, maybe history was repeating itself. But a werewolf would have healed himself after that mess."  
"What are you talking about? What mess?" I growled, flicking my eyes down to check how loose her grip on the gun was – not very tight.  
Her eyes closed off to me as she spoke, "You really don't know…" And then, of all things, she started laughing, "Oh god, that's brilliant. He actually never told you. Now there's a relationship built on trust! No wonder!" Her cackle echoed around the deserted house.

I seized my chance. Kate's eyes closed for a split second as she leant her head back to laugh. With my right hand, I forced the gun out of her loose grip, pushed upwards with my leg and swung around so that I was trapping her against the bannister. I pressed the gun vertically against her neck and in her surprise, I managed to get the upper hand.  
Kate's laugh stopped as the metal touched her skin.  
"Well, well, well, seems like we've got a fighter here. You should be an Argent," Kate smirked. If she was annoyed or worried, she wasn't letting on.

"For your information, Kate," I spat out, leaning close to her face, "Allison figured it out for herself. Today actually. So she won't be very happy with you when she finds out that you've been trying to kill people. And whatever mind games you are trying to play about me and Isaac, forget it."  
"She's a smart girl, I knew she would eventually," Kate smiled and lifted her chin slightly as I pressed the gun against her harder. However hard Kate was trying to keep cool, her voice was rising slightly as she spoke. "And it's no mind games, sweetie. Your boyfriend has got a dirty little secret that he keeps in the family, as it were." Her mouth tugs to the side, almost inviting me to ask.  
"If Isaac needed to tell me something important, he would have told me. You're bluffing."  
"So you never wondered why he always had to rush home? Why he never wanted you around his house? Why those curious lacrosse injuries just _kept_ happening?"

A coldness was creeping up through my stomach and into my chest. Kate was right. More than right. Her words had made me lessen my grip on the gun. Something bad was happening to Isaac. He'd pushed me away so that I wouldn't find out.

The next thing I know, an electric shock is zapping up my arm like a painful jolt of lightening. I cry and fall back, shaking and screaming as the pain bubbles in my chest. I fall down a few stairs and feel the edges of each step poking into my back as I descend.

Kate jumps up to her feet, holding her tazer in one hand. She flicks her hair back and straightens her jacket.  
"Nice try," I hear her say as I try to catch my breath again, "But let's get back on topic. Who's the other beta, Emily?"  
"Bite me," I wheeze, clutching at my chest. My heart is pounding away like a rocket. Kate's foot stamps into my side and I choke out a gasp of pain.  
"Who's the other beta, _Emily_?" Kate repeats.  
I remain silent, knowing that Kate loved the sound of her own voice. She would continue talking and give me time to heal sooner or later.  
"It's a shame it isn't Isaac. I would have loved to have broken up another relationship-"

Kate breaks off. When I look up at her, she is deep in thought, as if remembering something from long ago.  
"…History repeating itself… Not your relationship… But someone else's…" She mumbles to herself before glaring down at me.  
With an angry shove, she kicks me down the final few stairs and marches down, stepping over me in the process. I roll and cough out a ball of dust. I wasn't really hurt, just aching and tired.  
"Thanks for all your help, Emily, it was nice to chat again."  
"Wait-!" I cried out, sitting up, confused, "Where are you going?"

Kate spins around like a princess, her blonde hair whipping across one shoulder. With a sweet smile she tells me, "I'm going to kill your friend, Scott." 

* * *

_A.N._

_Hi! Sorry again, oh my god, I am so bad at getting my chapters out now. Literally, I hardly have any free time anymore, it's so sad :( I would love to write more often, it's just very difficult. I won't give up though, this story will keep being updated until it's finished, I promise! Can't leave you all hanging :'D  
So yeah, all my love to those of you who have stuck with me! Thank you lots and lots and lots. Please keep on reviewing as it keeps me motivated to write and thank you for all the favourites and stuff!  
Hopefully I'll be updating pretty soon, it's all coming together now! xxxx_


	18. Help

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What the hell am I supposed to do?! And why won't anyone answer their god damn cell phone!

"Isaac, you answer your phone right now, you hear me!" I scream into his voicemail before hanging up again and attempting to reach Stiles for the fourth time, my fingers shaking as I hastily press the buttons.  
Pacing frantically in the woods right outside Derek's house, I wipe my fringe back and breathe heavily. On the seventh ring, Stiles picks up.  
"Emily, what-?"  
"Why haven't you been answering me?!" I screech at him, curling my free hand into a fist.  
"Um, I was in class? I saw your missed calls and managed to leave-"  
"Okay great, but you have to listen to me. I just saw Kate." It's hard to splutter all my words out cohesively.  
"Kate? What- But aren't you at home?" He asks, doubtfully, sounding a little stunned from my outburst.  
"I lied!" I took a deep breath and tried to make him understand, "I was at Derek's. He wasn't home, Kate found me there instead. Listen to me, Stiles: She knows about Scott being the beta. She figured it out. He's in danger."  
"Woah, what? How did she-"  
I interrupted again, my words bursting out hysterically, "Something about history repeating itself? I don't know, she just figured it out. Just- Just keep your eye on Scott, warn him and don't let him out of your sight, okay?"  
"Okay! Fine! What are you doing?"  
"I have something I need to do, but I'll call you later."  
"Alright, be careful," Stiles replied, and I hear him anxiously muttering under his breath.  
"You too."

I hung up and tucked my phone into my jacket pocket.

All of a sudden, I was in my car, driving away from the woods like a maniac with my foot floored on the gas for most of the journey. Getting caught by the cops just didn't even cross my mind. Now that Scott's life was taken care of, I concerned myself with only one thing: Isaac.

My heart was in my throat, so tight that it was like an uncontrollable weight was clutching its fingers around my neck. Please be okay, please. I never got to tell you things that you needed to hear. Please.

I roughly pulled up outside Isaac's house and once I had checked that his Dad's car wasn't in the driveway, I threw myself out of the car with all the velocity I could muster. Sharply, my foot caught on the door frame and I skidded onto the side walk, my palms and knees grazing along the rough concrete. A pain throbbed up and down my arms- No, it doesn't matter, get up Emily, I told myself, and clambered up onto my feet again, slamming my car door shut behind me.

In a second, I was at his front door, pounding with my fists and calling out, "Isaac! Isaac, are you in there? Isaac! Open up! Please!"

No answer. No sign of movement. I peeked through the letterbox.

Silence. Quiet. Wrong.

Anxiously, I turned around in a circle and ran my fingers through my hair. What the hell do I do? Can Kate's warning be taken seriously? Isaac could be out. He could have made it to school late. She could have been messing with my head. Yet here I stand. The eerie silence of Isaac's house and the churning tension in my stomach would not let me leave this alone. There was only one thing to do: If Isaac wasn't going to answer the door, I was going to have to find a different way in.

There was a small pathway at the left of his house leading round to the back yard, which was separated from the driveway by a thick wooden fence that came up to the top of my head. So I made my way over to it, as naturally as I could, and placed both of my swollen hands of the top rim of the fence. It felt like tiny needles were pricking into the broken skin from my fall, so I grit my teeth and hoisted myself up reluctantly, my feet scratching against the wood in an attempt to climb over. Then I fell back down again. And pushed upwards again. And failed. I do not have a lot of upper body strength, it seems.

Letting out a cry of annoyance, I decided I need a different approach. I will get into this god damn house!

And then I saw the window. The window on the side of the house that led to the kitchen had been left on the catch. About half an inch of air was just enough for me to wiggle my fingers in and unlock the latch. I prayed that none of the neighbours were watching because I was looking one hundred per cent guilty of trespassing here. I caught the rim of the glass before it could squish my hand and pulled it fully open. Okay, the counter it opens out to is the exact part with the sink so this is going to get awkward. I take a quick glance around to double check no one was around before pushing myself up and swinging one knee inside.

After a good few minutes of difficult shuffling about, I landed on my tiptoes in Isaac's kitchen as quietly as I could. Although to be honest, anyone in the house would have definitely heard my ridiculous breaking and entering attempt. Then, I returned the window to looking how I found it and blew out my cheeks to release some of the high wire tension coursing through my body. Now that I was in the house, the worry that Isaac was in a bad way had been kicked up a notch. The air was electrified.

Creeping into the hallway, I spotted a familiar door. Oh god. No. The one from my vision. When I freaked out on the lacrosse pitch. Isaac's Dad dragged me towards it and forced me down the stairs and into that… suffocatingly claustrophobic box. My heart rate sped up rapidly and pounded against my ribs with each step I took towards it. I would have shrugged it off, but I had learnt how important my visions were and how truthful they have been. But that one had felt different, like it happened in the past and future at the same time. I was shaking with fear as my hand reached towards the handle. I need to look. Oh god, I can't look. Just open the door!

Suddenly, I heard a floorboard creak upstairs. It scared me right out of my skin and I had to cover my mouth to muffle the small shriek that I had let out. Isaac?! My hand shoots away from the door handle like it was on fire. My feet carry me towards the stairs before I have time to think and I leap up it two at a time. I am about to call out for Isaac when a sight makes me stop dead.

No.

My eyes widen at the sight of Isaac's collapsed body lying on the landing. He was sprawled as if he had been crawling, trying to reach his room but had to stop. I find myself more scared than worried.

This is horrible. What the hell happened here?

I take a few shaky steps forward and kneel at Isaac's side. His eyes are covered by his hair and I'm about to reach out to wipe it back, but the amount of bruising and redness on his skin makes me halt. I don't want to hurt him even more. Who knows what evidence is hiding underneath the hoodie? His mouth is open and puffed on one side. This is just- I can't- I don't even know what to say.

"Isaac," I whisper out softly, and pluck up the courage to lightly touch his shoulder, "Isaac, baby, Isaac, please open your eyes. It's Emily…" I take as much care as I can when I stroke back his dark blonde hair away from his forehead and feel my lip wobbling. "Isaac…?"

I inhale sharply as his blue eyes flicker open blurrily. He seems to not understand where he is or what has happened for a couple of seconds. Then all of a sudden, something clicks and his whole body jerks backwards. His blood splattered hands fly up to cover his face in a panic.

"Isaac! Isaac! It's okay! It's me, it's Emily!" I hold up my open palms and bite my lip to stop the tears.  
The panic doesn't seem to dissolve at first because he continues to kick out his legs and shuffle forcefully away from me. Then abruptly, Isaac's wild gaze finds my eyes. He locks there for a moment before visibly relaxing, as if warm water was pouring down his back. Leaning against the wall, short of breath, Isaac just stares, a slight wince on his face.

"Isaac?" I ask, kneeling up and holding out my hand, "You're okay now. You're safe. I'm here."  
He pants and runs one hand through his hair very slowly, like he was testing this his muscles still worked properly.  
"Isaac, we need to get you to a hospital," I advise delicately, keeping my eyes glued to his.  
That does not sound good to him as he frantically shakes his head and clenches the hand in his hair.  
Bringing one knee up to his chest, Isaac finally speaks in a quiet, fragile voice, "N-no. No, I-I'm okay. It's my fault."  
My heart drops to the bottom of my stomach and weighs me down during the silence that follows his words.

"…Isaac, you're hurt. Really bad. Please," I choke out and scuff my knees along the carpet towards him, outstretching my hand again.  
"Don't-! Don't touch me," Isaac grips the sides of his face and stares intently at the floor. I notice how his knuckles are covered in dried blood. From what? Defending himself? Did the Alpha try and attack him? …Or was it someone closer to home like Kate suggested?  
"It's okay, it's just me," I hush and my fingers rest a heartbeat away from his face. I pretend not to notice the tears that are weaving down Isaac's cheeks.  
"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, Emily…"  
"You have nothing to be sorry for," I reply, gently moving my fingers to pick up his hand and bring it into mine. Isaac doesn't flinch away at my touch. I run my thumb over the back of his hand in soothing circles. His skin feels whole and strong, but I treat him like a porcelain doll who will fracture at any minute.  
"I do-" He lets out a sob and screws up his face, "I do, I do! It's my fault. You shouldn't see me like this. You should hate me. I sent you away so you wouldn't see me like this! You shouldn't be here! Just leave me here! I deserve this- I deserve to be alone!"

I burst into tears and cover my face with my hands. He can't think that. Not when I care so much. How can he- My heart shatters into pieces at the thought of Isaac feeling this way about himself. But suddenly, he's there, hugging my body to his chest and holding my head gently in his hands. I sob into my palms, so hard that my throat feels like it will be ripped out. No. He can't feel like this. Not my Isaac. No one should have to feel that way. Especially not him.  
"I'm sorry, Emily, I'm sorry," Isaac whispers into my hair, sounding a little calmer than before, "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. Don't cry, please." He holds me close until my tears dry up and I can finally breathe again.

Leaning back, I wipe my wet face and blink at him. I see his bruised face and almost crack again. Managing to hold it together, I take a shuddery breath and whisper out his name. He smiles in response and cups my jaw lightly with one hand.  
"I think there are a lot of things that we aren't telling each other," I attempt to joke, but my smile fades as quickly as it arrived. "You're hurt," I say, after another short silence.  
"Yeah…"  
"We should get you some help-"  
"-No hospitals. I'm sorry, I just… can't," Isaac bits his lip.  
I shake my head, "That's not what I meant. My- My parents are doctors, they'll patch up your injuries. You…" I take in a deep breath, building my confidence, "You should come and live with me for a while. Take a break from… everything."

Isaac's expression does not change for a good few seconds and I am convinced he is going to frown and push me away. Instead he softens into a small smile.  
"…That would be nice, but I don't think my Dad would allow that," Isaac says, with what I first think is pity, but then I realise – he does want to come, he's just convinced himself that he has to put himself and his feelings last.

"Screw your Dad. He'll have to come through me and I am never letting anything happen to you again," I spit out my words and frown in response.  
Isaac takes interest in the floor again and doesn't speak. I take his hands in mine again as he blinks a tear away. He knows I have figured it out. It was his Dad. He doesn't have to say it. I know. There were so many clues that would usually go unnoticed, but not to me. Isaac has never let anyone this close before – that's why no one has ever reached out to help in the past. Well, I'm here now and I am getting him out of this house whether he comes quietly or not.  
"Isaac… if you're scared, then I'll protect you. I promise," I say sincerely. I didn't want to spell it out and say anything inconsiderate so I chose my words carefully, "But first, we need to get your injuries looked at. Please, let yourself be helped."

It takes a couple of seconds for him to react, but eventually, Isaac raises his head to look in my eyes again and I see him smiling through his tears.  
"Emily," he says, and tightens the grip between our hands. His voice is a shaky whisper of forced confidence, "Will you help me?"

**…**

I pack some of Isaac's clothes and school things into a bag and put them in the back of my car whilst he sits on the floor, unable to move much, just giving instructions to where things are in his room. After, I help him up, flinging his arm over my shoulder and we hobble down the stairs with extreme caution. I drive him to my house without looking back once. I notice he doesn't look back either.

Isaac set me conditions during the drive and one of them was that we don't involve any authorities. I think it's because he's scared of it backfiring and coming back to hurt him. Sometimes the kids aren't believed and the last thing I want to do is make things worse, so I agree. Everything I do about this has to be approved by Isaac first. The other condition is that if his Dad comes knocking, I am not allowed to get in between them – Isaac doesn't want me involved as much as possible. It doesn't feel real to me at all. I wished that Isaac and I could have kept driving and driving and lived in our own bubble, no werewolves or family or any other problems to bring us down.

But all too soon, we pull into my driveway and I turn off the engine. We sit in silence for a moment and Isaac stares at my front door, all of a sudden completely nervous.  
"W-will your parents be okay with this?" He stutters out, wringing his hands in his lap.  
"Definitely. You can stay as long as you want," I smile at him, pushing down the nerves in my own stomach.

I help him out of the car and unlock the front door. We shuffle over to the sofa in the living room and I lay him down carefully before going back to the car for his belongings. On my way back inside, I make sure to double lock the door behind me.  
Placing Isaac's bag at the bottom of the stairs, I call upstairs to see if either of my parents are home.  
"Mom? Dad? You home? Moooom?"  
No answer. Must still be in work.

I'm on my way into the kitchen to check their schedules when something makes me stop dead. From the hallway, I can see into the living room where Isaac is resting on the sofa. But there's someone else in the room. A shadow of a figure behind him. My heart stops and my feet are frozen to the spot. No. It's the Alpha. It must be. No. No.

"Isaac!" I yell and find the energy to fling myself back into the room.  
The figure ignores Isaac and paces stealthily towards me. I see his face and the anger behind it and freak out. Derek.  
Isaac whips up into a sitting position in surprise, forgetting about his injuries and lets out a yelp of pain almost a second later. Derek reaches me and grips my shoulder tightly, shoving my back into the wall behind me. My head smacks into the wall with a crack and all the breath is knocked out of me. I hear Isaac calling my name, probably feeling helpless. Derek is growling under his breath and glaring at me, his face inches from mine.  
"Hi, Derek," I splutter, shocked by his appearance, "I came looking for you before."  
"I know!" He almost shouts, narrowing his eyes, "You sent Kate after Scott?!"  
"No!" I gasp, "No, I didn't!"  
"I can't go home, she's watching my every move. You know she's capable of breaking the code. She'll kill both me and Scott and it'll be your fault!" Derek whacks his hand against the wall next to my head and I squeal from fear.  
"I- I didn't do anything! You're the one who left us all for dead at the school! Thanks, by the way!" I find my confidence and fight back, staring him down.  
"I left you for dead! I'm pretty sure it was the other way round from where I was standing, or rather, lying, on the ground, bleeding to death." Despite being obviously pissed off, Derek still managed to be a snarky little shit.  
"Well, I can't heal like you!"  
"You could have seen it coming! But no, your little superpower doesn't seem to warn me against _that_ near death experience. "  
I grit my teeth at the blow and snarl, "Fuck you. You know it doesn't work like that."

Derek takes a deep breath and removes his hands, stepping back slightly. All the anger slips away and in its place seems a desperate man. He presses a hand to his forehead and closes his eyes for a second, and I realise that I actually feel really sorry for him. Scott and I, we're his only chance. Derek has to count on teenagers to get his revenge and get his life back. And so far, we haven't done a good job.  
"Derek…" I start to say, but he holds up a hand to stop me.  
"Don't."  
"…Alright. But it's going to be okay, you know."  
"How can you know that? Did you foresee us playing happy families in the future?" He sarcastically folds his arms and shoots daggers at me with his eyes.  
"No, but I'm not giving up easily, and neither is Scott or Stiles," I remembered what Stiles had said the other night and smirk as I repeat it, "Don't be such a sour wolf."  
Derek growls again and turns away.

It's at this point that my eyes fall to the sofa, where Isaac is sat, an utterly blank expression on his face. It seems that Derek notices him for the first time too.  
"Um," I muster out before Derek questions his injuries, "Derek, this is Isaac."  
"Isn't this the guy who was supposed to have been trying to kill us at the school?" Isaac asks, very slowly, cautiously eyeing Derek with his bruised eyes.  
"…Yes. But no. It wasn't him."  
"Then who was it?"

I sigh and push my shoulders down. Meeting Isaac's eyes, I bravely smile and say to him, "This is the part where I explain everything." 

* * *

_A.N._

_Hi, guys! I'm really sorry about the wait, again. Uni work pretty much takes up all of my time, but it's coming up to Christmas break, so do expect more over the holidays! __  
I really like how this chapter came out and hope you do too!  
Thank you to everyone who has followed this story and favourite, and especially those who review, because you inspire and motivate me to keep going and get these chapters out quicker! Thanks, guys and see you soon! x_


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